Dutch online gambling legalisation moving forward

Legalisation in the Netherlands continues to progress, albeit slowly as the draft legislation wends its way through the political and bureaucratic labyrinth.

The latest version of the bill amends server obligations and presumably seeks to alleviate European Commission concerns by removing suggestions that current licensees in the country be given a time advantage when the newly legalised market opens.

Several independent observers have reiterated that such a market opening is still a good 18 months away.

The Dutch Remote Gambling Act received the approval of the Council of Ministers last (February) month and is now undergoing technical scrutiny by the Council of State (see previous reports).

After this it will be submitted to the Lower House of Parliament for further study and possible debate, and from there the measure will go to the Dutch Senate.

Assuming that the bill makes it through the political gauntlet, it will go forward for promulgation in the state Gazette – probably by early 2015.

That will empower the regulator, or Kansspelautoriteit, to consider the issue of licensing over the next few months.

Reliable estimates predict the Dutch online gambling market will generate GGR of Euro 266.5 million initially, growing to Euro 370 million by 2016. With a population of 16.7 million and good quality, high internet penetration there are high hopes for the new sector.

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