Kansspelautoriteit Announces New Guidelines for License Applicants to Welcome Online Gaming Market in January 2021

After the Dutch Senate in February voted to the Netherlands’ Remote Gambling Act, the Netherlands heralded opening a regulated online gambling market in January 2021. The country’s regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) went public with an updated set of rules for potential applicants.

As soon as new legislation comes into force, operators will be able to submit applications. The regulator pointed out it cannot confirm the exact date when the Act will come into effect, but it will keep on informing interested operators about the progress of the process via dedicated workshops.

The Dutch government plans to bring a reformed set of regulations governing the territory into effect from 1 July 2020, subject to final approval from the Ministry of Justice and Security.

Technical Details of the Licenses

The cost of an application for an internet gaming certificate will be €45,000 (£38,578/$49,664).

In case the license is NOT granted…

…applicants will not be entitled to a refund. Applications must be written in the Dutch language. Only if fully completed, applications will be processed. The regulator is entitled to request additional information later in the procedure to the applicant’s identity.

The Dutch market will offer four different licenses for the following activities:

• casino games where clients play against the operator (such as slots and table games)
• peer-to-peer casino games (online poker)
• betting on sporting events
• betting on horse racing and trotting

Making Sure the Applicants Are Legit and Trustworthy

The regulator will assess each application to determine whether the interested provider offers its services in a responsible, reliable and verifiable matter.

Among the requirements…

…applicants will need to ensure their employees have adequate knowledge of the Netherlands’ gambling laws and regulations. They will also need to supply a strategy in place to combat gambling addiction which would be in line with the Dutch system of addiction care.

In of marketing, interested brands will be obliged to disclose their advertising strategy to the regulator.

The complaints system will need to be compliant…

…with Dutch consumer protection laws. The holders of sports betting licenses will also need to agree to cooperate closely with the KSA to help identify match-fixing.

Ensuring Compliance in All Sectors

Applications must also be in accordance with the provisions of the Dutch Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act and have a deep understanding of the Sanctions Act, which refers to global measures in response to a violation or threat to international peace and security.

In case the potential license owners collaborate with third parties…

…they will need to confirm that outsourced (white label) partners are also in line with certain criteria. Operators are required to provide a policy plan outlining the risk of outsourcing and how they intend to supervise this.

In of payments and transactions, license holders must state how their main payment process functions, how they carry out risk management, what is done in case an incident occurs and how they would prevent such a situation from repeating.

More Focus on Protection

The operators must also ensure that they have properly identified players before allowing them to gamble. This would include confirmation of the name, date of birth, address and place of residence of all players, based on a valid port, identity card or driver’s license.

Kansspelautoriteit also confirmed plans to implement a nationwide self-exclusion system in the form of the Central for Exclusion of Gambling (CRUKS). Even though currently in development, all successful applicants must guarantee that they are connected to the system.

Besides, all online gambling operators should have a Control Database, with the regulator being able to access this system and test whether they comply with license conditions.

Source:

“KSA releases new information on gaming licenses”, igamingbusiness.com, November 11, 2019.