KSA urges caution to operators over World Cup advertising

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has warned operators to moderate advertising output during the upcoming FIFA World Cup ahead of the upcoming “untargeted” advertising ban in January.

In a letter to its licence holders, the KSA recalled the appeal made by Minister Franc Weerwind in recent debates in the House of Representatives. During this time, Weerwind asked operators to moderate their advertising around the World Cup.

Alongside this letter from the regulator, KSA chairman René Jansen warned advertisers that failing to heed the warning during the World Cup could lead to a repeat of what happened when the Dutch market opened up a year ago.

Jansen said: “Of course, I understand that a World Cup is an excellent opportunity to draw attention to the range of sports betting. Nevertheless, I very much hope that the same mistake will not be made after 1 October 2021, when the legal market for online games of chance opened in the Netherlands.

“The bombardment of advertising caused so much annoyance that Minister Franc Weerwind was forced to intervene, partly at the urging of the House of Representatives.”

Jansen encouraged a cautious approach to any World Cup marketing campaigns and implored operators not to draw unwanted ire upon the industry.

He added: “There is an old Dutch saying that applies here: better to turn halfway than to be completely astray. A new tidal wave of advertising would mean an extra blow to the image of the sector and perhaps the prelude to even more far-reaching regulation of what is allowed in the field of advertising. I’d say don’t let it get to that point.”

This word of warning comes after the use of role models and famous sports stars in gambling adverts was banned in June and comes ahead of the phased banning of a number of advertising mediums beginning on 1 January 2023, culminating in the banning of gambling sponsorship in sport by 2025.