Dutch authority release 2017 annual report

The Dutch gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has released its 2017 Annual Report with continued emphasise on operating under “outdated legislation” and its hope for progress towards ratification of a new online gambling regime.

“At various places in the Annual Report 2017 it can be read that there is an urgent need for the Remote Gaming Act,” a press statement reads.

“This bill, which is currently in the Senate, makes online games of chance legal under strict conditions.

“At the same time, the Gaming Authority will have more options and powers to enforce when it comes to online gambling.”

Pointing out that the current Act dates back to 1964, pre-internet, the KSA said current regulation provides insufficient possibilities to effectively combat illegal online offerings.

The proposed Remote Gambling Act (KOA) currently sits with the Senate, and assuming its passage, would be published in the Government Gazette after which the KSA would be able to issue licenses.

The bill provides the KSA additional enforcement powers including the ability to play online anonymously, ask payment service providers to cease accepting payments between players and illegal providers and ban payment service providers, internet service providers and advertisers etc who support illegal online gambling.

Following the KSA’s successful removal of 55 gambling apps in 2016 (see previous reports), the authority said a further eleven real-money gambling apps had been removed in 2017.

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