René Jansen, chairman of the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has revealed that he supports stricter responsibility requirements for online gambling operators. During a conference of the European Association for the Study of Gambling (EASG) in Oslo, Jansen shared his thoughts on the matter.
Jansen Wants Stricter Deposit Limits
According to KSA’s chair, the government must impose tighter limits on gambling deposits and loss limits in order to better protect customers. In addition, Jansen believes that operators should intervene not only when a customer reaches their limit but as soon as they notice irregular spending patterns.
Jansen then noted that recent KSA research shows that the Netherlands’ safer gaming efforts are falling behind those of other countries. According to data about the regulations in 21 countries, the Netherlands can do a lot more to protect its players from the dangers of gambling harm.
Right now, operators in the Netherlands have to deal with regulations that tend to be rather vague. While the KSA asks operators to set deposit limits, it has no strict rules on the maximum limit a company can set. Jansen argues that the Netherlands should introduce a set deposit limit and require operators to contact their players as soon as the latter exhibit signs of gambling harm.
The Chair Fears the Dutch Market Is Too Lenient
Jansen’s overall belief is that there is a lot to be desired when it comes to regulations in the Netherlands. Speaking on the matter, he said that he keeps on worrying that the Dutch market does not currently offer sufficient protections to players. Therefore, there is a lot that can be done, including imposing stricter rules on deposit limits and requiring operators to be more responsible towards their customers.
Jansen believes that there is a lot the Netherlands can learn from other countries. However, he admitted that one who has the final say is the Dutch government.
The Dutch market is an interesting case of a jurisdiction that is very strict toward unlicensed operators but not so much toward its licensees. While the country’s regulations can be improved, the KSA has been doing everything in its power to prevent illegal gambling and channel people toward the legal market.
Two days ago, the authority issued cease-and-desist order against LCS Limited, a gambling operator that takes bets from people in the Netherlands despite lacking a license to do so. Earlier this year, the KSA announced that it will keep watch on online lotteries that try to bridge the gap between lottery and online casino games.