The legislation on online gambling is often unclear. As a player, can you gamble online or not? It appears that it is currently a gray area with a tolerance policy. Online casinos are illegal in the Netherlands, but the player can gamble on foreign casinos. Fortunately, a change in the law has been adopted this year that will legalize the online casino market. We still have to wait until 2021 until the new law comes into effect.
Something is also going to change for Holland Casino, because another change in the law stipulates that it will be privatized and that permits for a maximum of six competing branches will come. Less nice for Holland Casino, to date enjoyed a monopoly, but nice for the casino visitors.
The Gaming Authority will regulate things and will be given new powers to regulate this new branch with the amendment of the law. She has the power to tackle offenders with fines and penalty payers. The aim is to guarantee safety and security for consumers, to prevent fraud and prevent gambling addictions. And of course to be able to collect taxes, but they don't put that on top of it.
Conditions for a casino permit
- safety
- Customer service
- Casino software
- Casino Games
Online gambling is allowed
Most people know that you can only gamble in a Holland Casino. But how that is online is unclear to many people. It is a new development that the legislation is still lagging behind. A lot still needs to be arranged and regulated. But what does that mean for the player. Is it legal or illegal to gamble online?
So far it is not legal to operate for an online casino in the Netherlands. This means that the American government does not issue permits to establish an online casino on American soil. It is difficult for the government to keep foreign casinos, and has been pursuing a kind of tolerance policy for a number of years. We love that in the Netherlands.
That tolerance policy has two parts. The most important thing is that players are not forbidden to gamble at foreign casinos. In other words, playing online gambling games is allowed. That is of course nice for the hundreds of thousands of gambling fellow countrymen. The player does not have to worry about the law.
The online casinos should not make it too easy for the American. They are not allowed to offer the site in American and do not use .nl domain name. In addition, they are also not allowed to offer the OER American iDeal as a payment option. In this way the government tries to prevent online casinos from appearing American. Sites that violate these standards are actually tackled by the government.
New Law on Distance Gaming
The temporary seal rules have been created to bridge the transition to the new legislation and still to regulate somewhat. Law changes simply take time. Since 2015, this has been discussed in the Lower House. Fortunately, this year, in February 2019, the new remote Gambling Act was adopted by the Senate. That is the final step in the democratic process.
Now there is a lot of consultation how this law should be implemented and when to enter it. The last reports say that the law will start from September 2021. The law provides around 90 permits for online casinos in the Netherlands. The permits can probably be applied for from March 2021.
More safety and control
The new law must regulate this new industry. This means that the existing gambling authority is getting more powers. She will draw up guidelines that American online casinos must adhere to. She will maintain these guidelines and carry out control of them. It is about protecting consumers against shady practices and the dangers on gambling addictions.
Providers are obliged to check the age of the players, for example. In addition, they are obliged to set all kinds of control mechanisms to recognize and guide user -addicted users where necessary. Although the player himself remains ultimately responsible, the provider of gambling -addicting games also has a responsibility to prevent addiction and sometimes far -reaching consequences.
A third element of legislation focuses on the prevention of fraud and criminal actions. Casinos are a beloved means to launch money white. In addition, the government also wants to guarantee that it can collect tax on the profits made. At the moment, without any regulation, she does not catch anything.
Renovation Holland Casino
Not only the law for online casinos changes, the existing law for physical casinos is also being overhauled. That should actually be singular, because to date there is only a manager of physical casinos in the Netherlands, the well -known Holland Casino. Currently with 14 branches throughout the Netherlands.
Holland Casino is even a state -owned company. In other words, the state has a monopoly for games of chance in the Netherlands. A bit crazy of course in 2019. The government has therefore decided to privatize Holland Casino. In addition, she will have to give up four permits to make room for competitors.
The government also plans to make two new permits. This means that after the introduction of this legislative change there will be six permits for a country-based casino. There may therefore be six competitors for Holland Casino. Not a bad thing of course. More choice for our gamblers.
Gaming authority
In the Netherlands, the Gaming Authority is authorized to regulate casinos and other games of chance and to maintain legislation. They do this in three areas: player protection, preventing gambling addiction, and combating illegality and crime. This authority is regulating the American market as the Gambling Commission does it in the United Kingdom.
The Gaming Authority has the authority to grant fines up to an amount of 835,000 euros, without the intervention of the judiciary. If the violation is repeated, the authority can impose a penalty that must be paid if the violation is not made. If the provider still continues with it, the Public Prosecution Service can be called in with a criminal trial.