Dutch draft for online gambling law making headway

A familiar industry name – that of eCOGRA chief executive Andrew Beveridge – is linked to reports on the progress of a proposed new Dutch law that is intended to regulate online gambling in that country.
It seems that Beveridge is also the Chair of the CEN Workshop Agreement for Responsible Remote Gambling, published by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), whose well thought out pan-European consumer protection measures were recommended to the Dutch government this week in a position paper authored by the Netherlands trade association Stichting Online Gaming Nederland (STIOG).
Responsible gambling is rightfully a vital component in any regulatory system, and Beveridge’s considerable eCOGRA experience in player protection and standards has probably stood him in good stead in his relationships with several licensing jurisdictions currently developing regulatory frameworks.
In its position paper, which presents several recommendations, STIOG recommends that the CEN-developed measures be deployed as a foundation for the regulatory requirements that will help make Dutch online gambling a safe, responsible and fair pastime for internet punters…and a viable business for operators.
The position paper follows a consultative process involving STIOG during the government’s drafting program, which includes the objective of submitting a final version of the proposed legislation to the Dutch parliament before mid-2011.
The CEN responsible gambling component includes practical measures to ensure the protection of vulnerable players; the exclusion of minors; anti-fraud precautions; data and privacy protection; safe and efficient financial transactions; gambling that is both fair and administered with integrity; ensuring player sensitivity and respect; responsible marketing, carried out in a professional manner; and the creation of a reliable, efficient and businesslike operational environment.
Other recommendations in the STIOG submission deal with fair and transparent licensing methods, taxation rates, maintaining international player liquidity, return-to-player suggestions, embracing internet sports betting, media and advertising policy, enforcement against unlicensed operators and IT proposals.
STIOG’s paper, which is to be followed by a public report on its recommendations, will be considered by Secretary of State Fredrik Teeven and other senior government experts as the drafting exercise progresses to its conclusion.

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