Dutch lotteries escape gambling warning on ads thanks to successful lobby

The Dutch lotteries have successfully lobbied to avoid placing the new gambling warning on advertisements for their games. In a letter to the government, the lotteries argued that the warning would result in less money going to charities, culture, and sports, NOS reports based on documents received through the Open Government Act.

The correspondence shows that gambling companies strongly resisted the new warning text - What does gambling cost you? Stop in time. The warning was developed by experts two years ago at the request of PvdA parliamentarian Mei Li Vos, who felt the old text - Play Consciously - was not good enough.

The experts agreed that the word “play” in the old text could encourage people to gamble. After testing several options, the “What does gambling cost you” warning came out on top. The experts recommended using the warning on all gambling, including online gambling and lotteries, to avoid the impression that some games have fewer risks than others.

Despite that advice, the lotteries managed to lobby successfully to keep using the old text. In a letter to the government, the lotteries warned that the new text could risk the 800 million euros they annually pay to charities, sports, and culture. “That cannot be the intention. Lotteries have nothing to do with gambling,” they wrote. The lotteries did not explain why the warning would decrease ticket sales.

According to NOS, officials at the Ministry of Justice and Security weren’t surprised that the lotteries used the charities they donate to as leverage to get their way in this case. “Of course they use sport and charities for this,” officials texted each other.

The lotteries’ reprieve came from VVD MP Rudmer Heerema, who submitted a motion to make an exception for lotteries when using the new warning. The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, adopted the motion, and lotteries can keep using the “Play Consciously” text.