Netherlands to Liberalize Online Gambling Regulation

Netherlands regulator has now levied €2.75 million in fines this year to Europe’s largest online gambling operators.

Kindred Group appeals €470,000 fine as regulator ramps up fines ahead of market regulation.

€350,000 fine could delay operator’s entry into Dutch regulated market.

Two year “temporary leniency” will close in July 2021—so any operator who hopes to obtain a license must cease targeting Dutch customers immediately.

In something of a déjà vu for the industry, the KSA’s new “expression of interest” form once again sees some 125 companies dutifully fill it out.

Application process still a year away with market opening six months after, says KSA Chairman René Jansen.

The Dutch Gambling Authority has previously levied a heavy fine on Betsson Group subsidiary for operating in the Dutch market without a local license.

The Government has said that the licensing process will begin in mid-2020.

If “actively” targeting Dutch customers is defined by the priority criteria, large operators like The Stars Group and Kindred should not be impacted by “cooling off” period.

Bad news for operators who “actively” target Dutch players as they face a blackout period.

Gambling reform has the support to move forward, but concerns over the definition of illegal gambling and the idea of a blackout period for existing operators are now a stumbling block.

Dutch online poker players playing at PokerStars.EU are not liable to tax after a recent court ruling.