The Netherlands’ national Advisory Board on Regulatory Burden (Adviescollege toetsing regeldruk – ATR) has advised against the Ministry of Justice and Security's recently proposed player deposit limit and responsible gaming rules.
According to ATR, the Ministry failed to consider less burdensome alternatives to the mandatory contact moment in cases when players want to increase their personal playing limits, or the proposed closer monitoring of player behavior.
As a result, ATR recommends that the Ministry's new rules, which were scheduled to enter into force in Q4 2024, should not be introduced as currently proposed.
Although this would appear to be good news for the industry, ATR suggests low, non-increasable deposit limits and a total ban on all online gambling advertising as “less burdensome” alternatives for licensed operators.
It is remarkable, to say the least, that an advisory board explicitly intended to protect enterprises, professionals, and citizens against government overregulation would express a preference for even more restrictive rules than originally proposed.
