Gambling watchdog prohibits gambling ads at Dutch Grand Prix

• The Dutch Grand Prix would not allow any teams with gambling sponsorships displayed
• A warning has been issued by the regulator to advertisers and sports teams
• The Netherlands has a strict set of rules for advertising that features gambling products

Last week, the Dutch Gambling Regulator released a statement on its official website in which it reiterated that gambling advertisement rules ought to be strictly observed. This applies to the upcoming Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix due to take place over the weekend.

No gambling ads at the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix

The rules also apply to gambling-sponsored teams, which will not be able to participate in the upcoming Zandvoort Grand Prix, the regulator stated. Whether it is a domestic or a foreign team, sports clubs are prohibited from displaying sponsorship messages from gambling firms.

Foreign licensing rules do not apply here, and it doesn’t matter if a participant is in fact licensed in their own country, the regulator clarified. Any display of a gambling company that does not hold a Dutch gambling license is classified as "illegal" by the regulator.

The regulator has been working to actively strengthen consumer protection measures. In July, the regulator released an assessment of how the latest changes in the gambling rules have affected the industry and players.

Regulator firmly on top of the gambling market

The KSA has also admitted that a change in the taxation rate has resulted in the opposite effect – instead of strengthening the market, it has pushed more people away to offshore operators. The regulator has similarly issued warnings against three individual operators at the end of July.

More broadly, the regulator also spoke about certain market-wide deficiencies in monitoring for responsible gambling policies.

Image credit: Unsplash.com