Netherlands publishes updated RG rules setting depositing limits

The Netherlands and the Kansspelautoriteit, or the KSA as the regulatory is more snappily known, have published a set of amended Responsibly Gambling Policy Rules that will guide and direct the licensed regime in the country as it tries to strengthen consumer protection.

These measures have been passed as part of an ongoing effort to improve safeguards that ensure that consumers who play do not fall into bad habits while gambling.

Deposit limits to boost responsible gambling play in the Netherlands

The first and most touted solution is the introduction of deposit limits, which have been assigned to different age groups. Young adults aged 18-24 will be able to deposit no more than €300 while anyone above 24 years of age would be allowed to deposit up to €700 each month.

To place any larger amounts than that, an operator is now obligated to run what has unflatteringly been called "affordability checks" in the United Kingdom and has become the source of much contention between industry types and lawmakers.

Yet, the Netherlands has moved at a brisker pace by introducing and implementing responsible gambling safeguards, as the market enjoys strong growth. Operators who deem players’ financial circumstances insufficient to conduct their gambling activities would be obligated to immediately block further deposits.

One of the crucial points of this process is the real-time monitoring of gamblers and their behavior, which expects operators to have eyes on what is going on in their platforms at all times and intervene instantly when they flag suspicious or excessive gambling, that could be suggesting a deeper issue at hand.

There are no exceptions to hours, for example, as operators would be expected to protect customers 24/7 under the new rules.

The new rules also come amid a heated debate about the rate of channelization, and the fact that bad actors continue to encroach on regulated market territory and threaten minors disregarding any RG rules.

Expected grace period granted to implement RG rules

The new criteria for consumer protection set out by the amended Responsible Gambling Policy Rules will have to be applied indiscriminately and follow the same robust procedure in determining who may be suffering from problem gambling in the first place.

Operators are granted a grace period until October 1, 2024, to prepare and implement the rules. Part of this preparation may require the hiring of additional staff and consultancies capable of advising businesses on how to achieve the demanding business of real-time monitoring.

The regulator will also publish additional and supportive materials to help further flesh out details about what exemptions may be available in the rules. In the meantime, the country is debating stricter rules, which include but aren’t limited to whether lawmakers should prohibit online games of chance, such as slots, and crack down further on gambling ads.

Image credit: Unsplash.com