Due to the stricter enforcement policy of the Netherlands Gaming Authority, which came into force on June 1, several Netherlands-facing online casinos, such as Klavercasino, FortuinCasino and PolderCasino, decided to (temporarily) shut down, so as to not endanger their chances of acquiring a license once the regulated market opens.
Some Netherlands-facing operators have opted for a radical rebranding instead.
Other, internationally oriented operators have announced they will, for now, cease to accept players from the Netherlands.
It is not clear, however, whether all Netherlands-facing online operators will comply with these latest restrictions.
Last year, Malta-based Betsson, owner of the Netherlands-facing Oranje Casino and Kroon Casino brands, threatened to disregard local regulations if the Dutch government would fail to quickly regulate online gaming. “According to the European Commission, online gaming is, generally speaking, legal in the EU. Foreign operators can only be refused market access under strict conditions,” Betsson CEO Ulrik Bengtsson said.
Faced with stricter regulations, some operators could opt to attempt to force a market opening through the courts.
Betsson’s Head of Regulatory Affairs, Corinne Valletta, has confirmed she will attend the upcoming Gaming in Holland Conference & Expo to hear directly about the newly tightened enforcement policy of the Netherlands Gaming Authority.
Both Marja Appelman, CEO at the Netherlands Gaming Authority, and Dennis van Breemen, Program Manager Gaming Policy Modernization at the Ministry of Security and Justice, will address the new online enforcement policy during their talks at next week’s Gaming in Holland Conference & Expo.
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