Pressure on the Dutch government is increasing to strengthen regulation around the the online gambling sector.
Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) MP Inge van Dijk has placed pressure on Finance Minister Eelco Heinen and the Dutch Tax Affairs State Secretary, Folkert Idsinga, over the country’s gambling ecosystem.
According to Casinonieuws.nl, the CDA MP also took aim at the competitive viability of the state-owned Holland Casino, as van Dijk demanded the state sell off Holland Casino.
Questions were also raised around the social responsibility credentials of the current framework, with van Dijk expressing belief that practices are being muddied by the fact that private online gambling operators are being handed ‘30 licences a day’.
Former Legal Protection Minister Franc Weerwind, who took the role in 2022, made it one of his foremost priorities to optimise the legislation and foster a better gambling market.
Following Weerwind’s exit from politics earlier this year, a number of his key reform policies progressed.
Nonetheless, criticism of the Act has been piling up since its inception. This reached a boiling point in 2023 when the CDA vowed to introduce a “private members bill” led by CDA MP Anne Kuik to try and withdraw the KOA Act – a motion which is yet to see the light of day.
A more significant reformist victory was achieved in April, when a KOA revision to ban almost all online gambling advertising was voted in by Dutch MPs.Most recently, Teun Struycken, who is Weerwind’s replacement under the new government, was put under the spotlight by MPs and asked whether he’ll finalise the gambling ad ban by including social media to the already existing prohibition regarding TV, radio and print.
