Sportech given six-month stay on Dutch tote licence
Licence temporarily extended as regulator continues search for long-term provider
Sportech will run the Dutch tote for at least another six months after its exclusive license was extended to 1 July 2017, as the Dutch regulator continues its search for a new long-term supplier.
The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) announced the extension on Tuesday, with the Sportech licence originally set to expire on 1 January.
The renewal is a temporary measure as the KSA is currently holding an open tender process for the right to operate the Dutch pari-mutuel racing product from 2017 to 2022.
The KSA said: “The Gambling Authority wants to prevent this license expiring while the open and transparent award process is still ongoing for the next license.”
The open tender process follows a series of appeals from gambling operators in Dutch courts, who challenged the existing non-transparent licensing procedure.
However even the extension may be illegal under EU law, according to gaming lawyer Frank Tolboom of Kalff Katz & Franssen.
“On September 26, 2016, the District Court in The Hague ruled that the earlier allocation process for the totalizator (horse racing) betting license violated EU law,” Tolboom said via GamingInHolland.
“The same necessarily applies to the current extension of the license until July 1, 2017. It is settled case law from the CJEU that national legislation in breach of EU law may not be applied – not even for a transitional period.”