Netherlands passes online gaming bill
Remote gambling bill passes Dutch lower house and expected to sail through Senate in autumn
The Dutch market could be open for business as soon as 2017, after the lower house of the Dutch parliament passed a bill today to regulate online gaming in the country.
The bill is expected to be rubber stamped by the Dutch Senate after the summer hiatus and the Dutch regulator KSA said it could be possible to apply for a licence by H2 2017.
Operators looking to enter the market will face a uniform tax rate of 29% for land-based and remote gaming.
Several recent amendments to the bill are considered favourable to online operators, including a clause which prohibits lotteries and land-based operators from using their existing player databases to promote their online offerings.
Land-based operators will also be obligated to erect physical entry and player identification barriers to their venues, and contribute to a problem gambling fund.
“We are absolutely delighted to see the Dutch Remote Gaming Bill finally pass through parliament,” Jasper Hoekert, co-founder of Netherlands consultancy Revenue Engineers, said.
“While there are some aspects of the legislation which are not ideal, this is still a very workable framework and I am confident that the Netherlands will quickly emerge as one of Europe’s most important gaming jurisdictions.
The advertising restrictions are considered less online-friendly, with rules prohibiting operators from taking bets on any sporting teams they sponsor and showing gambling adverts on mainstream TV channels or on any media between 6am and 9pm.