KSA wants to tweak RG standards in the Netherlands

The Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gambling regulator, has submitted new RG draft rules for consultation. The regulator, known as KSA for its acronym, is looking for input from industry representatives and various stakeholders who can help steer the changes in the right way and strike a balance between consumer protection and business sustainability.

Above all else, however, the KSA wants to make sure that any changes implemented previously and moving forward are clear to stakeholders who abide by the law. For one, the KSA is interested in offering further clarification on how the duty of care and advertising policies in the country work.

The duty of care has been one of the more serious problems the regulator has sought to address after it found out that some stakeholders and operators are struggling to interpret the existing legislation which could lead to gambling-related harm. According to the KSA, some stakeholders still struggled to implement prevention and intervention mechanisms in the way desired by the regulator.

By seeking to clarify this, the KSA hopes that operators may enact changes that will allow them to align their businesses with the expected regulatory standards. The changes that will be introduced to the Responsibly Gambling Policy will have to do with better clarifying some of the standards that may be otherwise proving difficult to maintain.

The KSA does not want this to be a one-way street either, as it values and seeks input about whether certain changes and standards can be upheld realistically by the industry. However, there are some red lines that won’t be crossed should the changes be approved and passed.

For example, stakeholders would have to ensure that they respond to suspicious betting and gaming activity that could point to problem gambling within an hour. Any deposit of €700 or more for a calendar month should prompt intervention on the part of the operator and ask for proof of income. Such measures have been blasted in other jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, but they seem to be upheld and reinforced in the Netherlands.

Although some operators have not been able to still deliver on this, citing mostly a lack of clarity, the KSA remains adamant in its mission of ensuring that what it sees as basic standards for customer care are met fully. Stakeholders and all parties involved in the consultation will have through February 1, 2024, to respond and offer their feedback. The new policy rules will be coming into effect on April 1, 2024, although they may change depending on feedback from the industry.

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