The Netherlands gaming authority, de Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has announced that it will introduce new tighter controls for responsible gambling along with proposals to change legislation and regulations controlled by the Ministry of Justice & Security.
Online gambling providers are failing to intervene in a timely manner with customers who are showing signs of problem gambling
The KSA recently launched an investigation due to concerns with how online gambling operators were handling customers who were showing signs of problem gambling. The investigation looked at the responsible gambling protocols and interactions carried out by 10 online gambling operators in the Dutch market.
The main concern raised by the investigation is that gambling operators do not intervene quickly enough when a person is showing signs of problem gambling or gambling excessively. According to the KSA, this is due to the methodology used to identify customers who are showing these signs. There is also a lack of real-time monitoring meaning that problem gambling behaviors are only noticed after a customer has had a chance to gamble excessively. Operators are also focusing too much on deposits and bet amounts when the hours spent gambling online should also be monitored closely.
According to the KSA, the tighter limits that are already in place on younger customers aged 18-24 often means that those showing signs of problem gambling can slip through the net. This is because their smaller numbers (bets/deposits etc.) fail to stand out within monitoring statistics that cover the entire market.
As a result of the findings of the investigation, the KSA has stated that it will now tighten its own responsible gaming policy ensuring that all operators are aware of their duty of care to customers. However, the regulator also feels that there is a need for amendments to gambling legislation and will now make recommendations to the Ministry of Justice & Security.
The new rules changes to be implemented include:
- Obligation to conduct real-time monitoring
- Additional indicators to be included in the assessment of gaming behavior (gaming time etc.)
- Mandatory blocking of accounts of problem players until an intervention has taken place
Speaking of the investigation’s findings René Jansen, chairperson of the KSA said:
“The KSA puts safe play first. We receive worrying signals and, as a supervisory authority, we investigate providers who may far exceed the limits of their duty of care. If we notice this, we will intervene. With this research we see where, outside of these signals, providers are not doing well.
Players must be able to assume that they can play safely. We see that rules need to be tightened, precisely to further promote a safe environment for players.”
Olivia has worked as an editor and writer for major brands across multiple niches. She now focuses on the iGaming and sports betting industries.