European Gaming and Betting Association challenges Dutch lottery licence awards

The European Gaming and Betting Association, a trade body representing the interests of most of Europe’s major gambling companies, has thrown down the gauntlet on lottery licenses issued to Dutch companies last year, challenging the process as “non-transparent and discriminatory” in a formal complaint to Kansspelautoriteit, the regulator.

The multi-year licenses were awarded to De Staatsloterij, De Lotto, Holland Casino, Nationale Postcode Loterij, BankGiro Loterij and VriendenLoterij by Kansspelautoriteit last year and started running in January 2015.

EGBA is concerned at the lack of a correct tendering procedure in the award of the licenses, the lack of transparency in the process, and its claim that the awards to incumbent operators were discriminatory against its members.

The secretary general of the Association, Maarten Haijer, alleged this week that despite several Dutch court rulings the licenses had been issued without giving EGBA member Betfair an opportunity to tender for Toto and horseracing licenses.

Kansspelautoriteit has defended its decisions on grounds that these are in line with government policy, and hinted that the issue could be decided in the courts.

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