New regulations aimed at enhancing the protection of online gambling players will take effect. These regulations are designed to provide additional safeguards against the potential risks of online gambling.
These measures are introduced under the "Responsible Gambling Policy Rules," aiming to provide greater protection against gambling-related risks through real-time monitoring of player behavior and raising awareness of responsible gambling.
An important feature includes the introduction of deposit thresholds, with most players having a monthly deposit limit of 700 euros (775 USD), and teenagers at 300 euros. If players exceed these limits, they cannot continue to deposit until the end of the month.
Additionally, operators are required to assess whether a player's financial capacity justifies maintaining this level of deposit to add an extra layer of protection.
Meanwhile, regulations from the Justice and Security departments require that players wishing to set higher monthly limits (adults over 350 euros or teenagers over 150 euros) can only do so after directly contacting the provider.
In this interaction, we highlighted the risks of excessive gambling and the available support services – such as gambling help desks and the central exclusion register (Cruks).
The game also introduced new in-game intervention measures. Players receive a pop-up reminder every 30 minutes informing them of their total gaming time. Additionally, players receive a notification when they reach 50% of their set gaming time limit, and are automatically logged out upon reaching the full time limit.
VNLOK Chair Helma Lodders commented on these changes, stating: "VNLOK members have taken additional legal measures to provide extra protection for players, such as establishing online gambling advertising regulations or implementing stricter gaming restrictions for teenagers.
"Therefore, VNLOK favors taking effective measures to ensure the safety and responsibility of the Dutch online gambling market."
However, Lodders also warned of the risks of overregulation, stating: "By revising laws individually, the government ensures the coherence of legislation and regulations disappears. Moreover, many measures set higher thresholds for participating in online gambling. This reduces legal supply and increases the attractiveness of illegal gambling sites.
"Therefore, well-intentioned measures might have the opposite effect. It is important to carefully monitor the balance between strict regulation and preventing overregulation that leads to an increase in illegal supply."
