Delivering his first address as Chairman of Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) during the opening of IGB Live, Michel Groothuizen revealed that the Dutch market has developed significantly since he last engaged with the sector during a 2015 casework.
This timeframe was during his tenure with the Ministry of Justice, which led to KSA being established as the gambling authority in the region.
Groothuizen stated: “A lot has happened since I worked on the file and so there is still a lot for me to learn. I look forward to the conversations I will have today and in the future with gambling operators, international regulatory colleagues, legislators, and regulators, among others, many of whom I am sure are already here.”
Central to Groothuizen’s focus is supporting the implementation of the new government and its proposals to amend the Remote Gambling Act (KOA), as the Dutch framework looks to continue to evolve into the modern era.
He also confirmed that he would continue the mandate of predecessor Rene Jansen to utilise stringent regulations in order to ensure Dutch gambling consumers are protected by higher duty of care standards, as well as tougher enforcement against unlicensed operators.
He told delegates at IGB Live: “Today, as befits a good regulator, I will do no differently. I would be happy to discuss with you how the Authority (KSA) will further scale up its supervision of the online duty of care in the coming year, and how we have already made an initial foray into this with the new policy rule.
“Of course, I also see the threat of the increasing number of laws and regulations and the impact on channelisation, so the market for illegal gambling will also be considered.”
Furthermore, the new KSA President was unwavering in his determination to tackle unlicensed operators as he cited them as being the “pirates of the industry, who moreover, don’t seem to shy away from anything”.
The damning view is formed by Groothuizen detailed cases of unlicensed operators targeting Dutch underage audiences, falsifying the KSA logo on campaigns, and “surreptitiously advertising via Google Maps and ads targeting the very vulnerable group of players registered in the national exclusion register (CRUKS). That simply beggars belief”.
He continued: “Tackling illegal gambling does not stop at the border. That is why it is important not to let our supervision stop at the border either.
“Through international cooperation and knowledge-sharing, we can better tighten the net around illegal gambling. We do this, for example, through our participation in the Gambling Regulators European Forum (GREF) and the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR). My predecessor played an active role there, and I definitely intend to do the same.”
Progress has seen KSA sign MOUs with regulators from Belgium, France, Malta, Sweden, and the UK to enhance cooperation by enabling data and information sharing. Joint enforcement actions, and the adoption of best practices in tackling illegal gambling and ensuring responsible gambling practices are also a part of Groothuizen’s plans.
MOUs provide a platform for European regulators to improve operational collaboration, policy development, and enforcement efficiency against black market threats.
Nonetheless, elevated monitoring and strategy of unlicensed activities should not hinder a tougher regulatory approach and standards for regulated markets. As such, Groothuizen backs new KOA measures from 1 October that will impose mandatory monthly deposit limits of €350 and €150 (under-25 account) as means to “end gambling excesses as soon as possible.”
The Authority is taking another important step by being stricter on ‘real-time’ monitoring of gambling behaviours. Groothuizen concluded: “We will keep pushing this in our discussions with the secretary of state. We are keen on the regulations around advertising that have already been introduced and their effectiveness.
“In our latest survey on the state of the online market, I saw that the ban on non targeted advertising has resulted in non-gamblers being less likely to visit a gambling website. I look forward to seeing if we can draw the same conclusion again in our next report in the autumn, because that says something about the effectiveness of the legislation.”
