Betsson Welcomes Dutch Remote Gambling Act  But Warns Over Cooling-Off Period Betsson Welcomes Dutch Remote Gambling Act  But Warns Over Cooling-Off Period
Key Takeaways
  • Swedish-based online gaming operator Betsson AB has welcomed the passage of the Remote Gambling Act by Dutch senators.
  • In 2018, the Dutch gambling authority issued a fine of €300,000 to Betsson for operating in the country without a local license.
  • Betsson argues that the Remote Gambling Act does not differentiate between the operators who had been fined in the past and those who didn’t.

Swedish-based online gaming operator Betsson AB has welcomed the passage of the Remote Gambling Act by Dutch senators last week.

The company has long been advocating to the country’s legislators to adopt liberalized gambling regulation, a process which has been agonizingly slow. It was back in 2012 when the Netherland’s Prime Minister announced their plans to introduce national regulation of online gaming in 2013. However, the process was delayed numerous times in the past six years.

Betsson has been eyeing the regulated Dutch market since at least 2014 after it acquired two casino brands of Corona Ltd in anticipation of the re-regulation of the Dutch online gambling market, which was later estimated to come into force in late 2015.

In a press statement released shortly after the Dutch Senate passed the new gambling bill, Betsson, while stating it was pleased with its progress, raised concerns regarding the plans for a two-year cooling off period.

Unlike some of its competitors, which have stated that they do not expect to be penalized, Betsson has warned that its subsidiaries may face such a delay.