New Dutch iGaming Law Expected on Jan 1st

During an event held by the European Sports Security Association (ESSA) in London on October 12th, Henk Kesler (photo), VP of the Dutch Gaming Authority, announced that the Netherlands is expected to implement its new internet gambling law at the start of next year. As a tweet released by the non-profit organization ESSA subsequently stated:
“Henk Kesler from the Netherlands Gaming Authority tells #ESSAintegrity event that the Dutch gaming law can be expected 1 January 2019!”
The event entitled ‘Integrity in Sports Betting: What’s at Stake?’ was appropriately held at Lord’s Cricket Ground, known as the “Home of Cricket”, and whose governing code of conduct requires that all players conduct themselves in a “gentlemanly” manner. Henk Kesler was just one of many industry people in attendance at the event, with the representative indicating that ahead of its enactment, there are still a number of discussions on the new regulatory regime that need to take place.
Last summer, the Dutch Lower House approved the country’s new gaming bill that will essentially regulate its online gambling market, and allow foreign operators to apply for official licenses. Nevertheless, the Dutch Senate has yet to vote upon the bill, with the piece of legislation also needed to be signed off before passing into law.
In addition, certain aspects of the bill remain unclear, such as whether a requirement for licensed operators to have “some form” of physical presence in the Netherlands could be restricted to just an office, or whether it should include their servers. It may also mean that only land-based operators will be entitled to apply for online licenses, although the question will stay unresolved until the Dutch Senate begin its debate on the issue.
In the meantime, the Dutch Gaming Authority, Kansspelautoriteit, has clamped down further on unregulated online gambling sites operating in the country, as well as any affiliates looking to promote their products. In fact, the
regulatory body has even slapped six-figure fines on a number of online operators who have continued serving Dutch customers.