Dutch regulator: Remote Gaming Act has “unanswerable questions” without secondary legislation
CEO René Jansen claims delayed implementation allows for “careful decision-making process”
The head of the Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has claimed the Dutch Remote Gaming Act has questions which “unfortunately have no answers” other than the implementation of secondary legislation.
CEO René Jansen’s comments came after the Dutch government agreed to delay implementation of the Act until January 2021, a full six months after initially expected, meaning regulated operations cannot commence until July 2021.
Addressing the revised timescales for implementation of the act, Jansen claimed the delay was to allow a “careful decision-making process” on secondary regulations.
He said this delay would “give more air” to this preparatory process.
Jansen was speaking at a meeting of the VAN Kansspelen trade association, where he said industry responses to the KSA’s consultation on secondary legislation were currently being processed by lawyers working at the Ministry of Justice and Security.
At present the KSA has published several updates on the potential licensing process for Dutch egaming operators but has not released the definitive licensing process due to the lack of definitive secondary legislation.
In its most recent update, the KSA revealed the licence application fee would be €45,000, while operators would also be required to sign up to Cruks, a national self-exclusion scheme.
“The Ministry is planning to send the package to the Lower House early next year. Based on the definitive rules, the KSA can then further prepare the license conditions for an online gambling license. In this respect, you and the KSA are a bit in the same boat,” Jansen informed delegates.
In addition, Jansen confirmed plans were underway to expand the KSA’s current 80 regulatory staff in preparation for the implementation of the Remote Gaming Act, asserting that work was required on the “development and further professionalisation” of the KSA.
He also revealed the KSA was looking to expand the level of regulatory cooperation between it and other Dutch facing entities including local municipalities and the Dutch police, with a view to targeting unlicensed gambling sites.