The Dutch Gambling Authority, Kansspelautoriteit, has issued its 20th online gambling licence to Tulipa Ent, whose operations appeared to be heavily linked to the ComeOn Group.
This online casino licence issuance permits Tulipa to enter the Dutch digital ecosystem, with the five-year certification valid from September 6, 2022, to September 5, 2027.
Alongside issuing the permit, the Dutch regulator, which welcomed “an important step” in opening the much delayed market on October 1, 2021, also noted that the domain name that Tulipa will operate is not yet known, but once this information becomes available the country’s online gambling guide, Kansspelwijzer, will be updated.
The Malta registered Tulipa Ent Limited lists ComeOn Group’s Cristiano Blanco (Chief product Officer) and Juergen Reutter (Chief Executive Officer) as Directors, with its Ksa licence holder data also acknowledging Silvana Zimmit, ComeOn Chief Legal Officer, as a contact representative.
However, the igaming operator has now announced that it will be launching its flagship brand in the Netherlands after ComeOn debuted in Ontario, and the Mobilebet brand entered the German online sports betting market earlier this year.
This will take place in collaboration with Bragg Gaming Group, which will provide its player account management igaming platform, from its Oryx Gaming division, as well as its proprietary and exclusive content to ComeOn.nl.
Efi Peleg, Chief Marketing Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “There has been a lot of hard work and preparation leading up to this. We are all excited to see the launch of our flagship brand into this promising regulated market.’’
Last week, René Jansen, Chair of the Dutch Gaming Authority, voiced that he is in favour of tightening up the country’s duty of care after questioning if sufficient protection and safety is offered to players.
In a panel discussion at the European Association for the Study of Gambling in Oslo it was argued that tighter limits on behaviour and expenditure should be imposed by the government.
Furthermore, licensees were also urged to “go further than simply applying a limit,” with it noted that the current rules are not an “excuse to ‘sit back’ until a player has reached the deposit or loss limit”.
“I increasingly wonder whether we offer sufficient protection and safety to players with the current interpretation of the duty of care,” he commented.
“I see that the behaviour of gambling providers leaves a lot to be desired. Tightening up the duty of care is therefore not an unnecessary luxury and we can learn from other countries, but the ultimate choice lies with the legislator.”