Are Responsible Gambling Measures in the Netherlands Working?
Play responsibly. What does gambling cost you? Stop on time. Must be at least 18 years of age or older to participate in online gambling. This message should not be re-distributed to people under the age of 25.
Wat kost gokken jou? Stop op tijd, 18+
The Netherlands has had a fractious relationship with online gambling. It is currently set to unveil new laws at the end of 2025. We discuss if they will be enough and if currently, responsible gambling measures in the country are working.
Eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new gambling bill, the Netherlands expects to see major changes by the end of 2025. This was created in response to research which led the government itself to declare current laws were failing its citizens. It said that its former Remote Gambling Act was no longer creating a sustainable and safe market in line with its previous objectives. The new bill will aim to protect all citizens against the risks of gambling, including those who do not do so yet.
The Current State of Gambling
In January, the Scientific Research and Data Centre concluded a study, which noted that too much emphasis was being placed on the player to monitor and police their own gambling activity. Damningly, it labelled the current measures as inadequate.
This was primarily focused on the risk to young and young adults. Just 1% of all gamblers in the study were classed as high-risk. Yet of that group, 18% of them were in the young adult category. They learned that this group is particularly susceptible to risky gambling behaviours and the advertising towards them.
There have also been independent reviews conducted by the casino sector in the Netherlands which prove the same. They also condemn some of the regulations put in place by the Remote Gambling Act (KOA) particularly those related to their duty of care to players.
The study monitored 25 licensed operators for 6 months. Specifically, they looked at the 37 legal requirements together with 38 voluntary indicators the KOA has put in place.
Findings showed that while mandatory requirements were prevalent, others were often tucked away. These may have been in fine small print at the bottom of a page, or in locations that were almost inaccessible. There was also little in the way of tools to help players compare the risks of different casino games. While the CRUKS self-exclusion scheme was seen on all of these, education on addiction was minimal.
The Gambling Conundrum
Across the world, countries and states are facing the same predicament. Gambling does expose certain people to harm, namely, the 10%-15% portion of the population who have addictive personalities. Yet most people use it as harmless fun and entertainment. The view is that by clamping down and restricting access to gambling, you limit the harm done to those in your society.
Yet that is not strictly true. Research has found that people move to illegal and unlicensed operators in these situations. In the Netherlands, this is estimated at around 90,000 citizens using illegal online casinos. In the age of the internet, it is easier than ever to access offshore gambling sites. While some of these are perfectly legitimate, there are those less than transparent and outright unfair. This opens people up to more danger.
According to Leeuwslots the way to recognise a worthy casino, based int he country or elsewhere, is to look for fair and reasonable bonuses. Having clear terms and conditions allows players a real chance of winning with them. This is particularly true when using no-deposit bonuses, in which no transaction has to be made in the operator account to get the bonus itself. Added to this is excellent customer support so that questions and issues are resolved quickly and responsibly.
Added to this is the prospect of taxable revenue. When people go offshore, the state gets nothing. Yet if they remain gambling in the country, this is money back into the system. Thus, it is a conundrum for governments to work out. How relaxed is too relaxed, and how strict is too strict when it comes to gambling?
Does Cruks Work?
Cruks is the Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen, essentially the Netherlands gambling self-exclusion scheme. It is similar to Gamstop in the United Kingdom. People who feel they have a problem register, and they are then banned from using online casinos in the country. It is a form of self-policing and monitoring in one. Players also need to get a code using their national identifier to sign up for online operators.
The problem with Cruks is that it only works for licensed operators in the Netherlands. In Europe alone, 17.3% of gambling takes part in the offshore market and this is Cruk's problem: People who want to get around it can do so easily.
Thus, the Netherlands needs a more robust system. This can not come from policing alone, as people will simply move offshore. It must be a combination of this, education, and assistance from the main operators. Only then will its gambling policies start to work for those who matter most: Its citizens.