Dutch MPs seek to expedite restrictive gambling laws

A pair of Dutch lawmakers, Mirjam Bikker of the Christian Union and Michiel van Nispen of the SP have announced that they will seek to expedite a piece of legislation, dubbed "Don’t gamble with the future of our youth" that seeks to reverse many of the original regulatory framework introduced by the Remote Gambling Act.

Dutch lawmakers propose tougher gambling laws to protect consumers

The Remote Gambling Act was passed on February 19, 2019, and came into effect on April 1, 2021, with the industry launching officially on October 1, 2021.

Since that time, however, scrutiny of the sector has been growing exponentially with numerous consumer-protection measures passed along the way, including the ban on the use of images and likenesses of celebrities who may appeal to youths, as well as a proposed increase of the country’s gambling tax.

Bikker and Nispen have been trying to reverse the Remote Gambling Act and scale back the reach of gambling. However, they have acknowledged that mustering enough support for such a decisive legal coup would be near impossible, redoubling their efforts instead, on areas that they believe are plausible to address.

Among those are a ban on gambling with borrowed money and a ban on all gambling with credit cards. The pair also wants to see any CRUKS exclusions, that is through the official self-exclusion registry, made much simpler, easier to carry out, and available for a longer period of time.

Originally, the lawmakers wanted to completely ban high-risk verticals such as online slots, but now they have toned down their language and prefer to address slots in a different manner.

Although Bikker and Nispen still think that slots have to go, they are aware that they will fail to garner enough support from fellow legislators, opting instead to limit such games with time-outs, maximum stake limits, and breaks between plays.

The law should put the onus on operators to protect consumers

Furthermore, the pair wants to see operators and licensed gambling companies in the country contribute more to gambling addiction prevent, research, and awareness campaigns. Operators should also be obligated by law to observe stricter deposit limits, bonuses, payouts, and playing time.

"Gambling has bad consequences for all young people in the Netherlands. The gambling industry is dangerous and addictive. We must protect our young people better and cannot wait," a joint statement by the pair said.

"That is why we must intervene now and present a law that protects them better. The government wants to do a lot more research," they wrapped up.

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