Gambling companies eager to enter Dutch market

In the next few weeks, 40 gambling companies will file for a license to legally offer online gambling sites, NOS reports. That means starting October 1, many more gambling ads will be seen on the internet and TV. A range of international gambling companies will have to wait their turn on the sidelines due to receiving penalties for previous gambling law violations.

The Netherlands is one of the last European countries where the market for online gambling has not yet opened. Dutch players now mainly gamble on sites that do not have a license and do not pay taxes in the Netherlands.

“It is 2021. The internet does not stop at the border. Now online gambling is unregulated, nobody is supervising it. Through regulations you can keep it in check and ensure a safe environment”, chairman of the Gambling Authorities, René Jansen, said.

With the new law permitting online gambling on the Dutch market, companies including Holland Casino, TOTO, Novamedia and Fair Play Casino estimate to make an additional 800 million euro profit on Dutch gamblers in the upcoming year.

Holland Casino is already in the process of building a live studio in the Scheveningen casino that provides space for online gamblers to play blackjack or roulette. Market experts predict that Bet365, a major player in the international gambling world, will soon apply for a license as well. A number of Belgian casinos are reportedly also planning on entering the Dutch market.

It is expected that 35 out of the first 40 applications will be approved. The Gambling Authorities will only issue permits if companies meet all conditions. “We have number of criteria points”, Jansen said. “Attention is particularly paid to addiction prevention, the reliability of the providers, the fairness of the games and the companies must prevent money laundering.”

International companies, including Univet, Pokerstars and Bwin are not yet permitted to apply for a license. These companies have been penalized for focusing on the Dutch online gambling market when this was not yet permitted. They will not have the chance to apply for a license until 2022.

Dutch gamblers will soon have to renew their registrations on online gambling sites. While doing so, they will have to provide identification and set personal limits on their gambling behaviors.