Netherlands to ban all untargeted advertising from 1 January 2023
New changes set to be phased in from next year cover all forms of untargeted advertising, including sponsorship deals
The Netherlands’ Minister for Legal Protection Franc Weerwind has submitted a proposal to amend the Wrvk Decree to restrict all untargeted forms of gambling advertising.
Under these new rules, operators won’t be able to advertise products on TV, radio and in public spaces.
Operators will still be able to advertise online, but the government has said these methods will be tightly monitored to help protect vulnerable individuals.
The new rules will be introduced stage by stage, with the next set of rules coming into force in 2024 and the last in 2025.
Operators will no longer be able to sponsor sporting events in 2024, and will no longer be able to advertise at sporting venues or have any shirt sponsorships by 2025.
The government has said that this gentle introduction will allow sports teams to find alternative sponsors to maintain the current level of revenue stream.
The amendment to the decree will be discussed this week and then stakeholders will be given eight weeks to respond to the proposal. It will be submitted to the House of Representatives and the Senate whilst the discussions are ongoing.
Minister Weerwind said: “We have taken an important step towards further curbing gambling advertisements. Advertising is a means of directing people to the legal offer, but the importance of addiction prevention outweighs it. With this, I want to protect vulnerable groups such as young people in particular.”
The move to ban shirt sponsorships could spell bad news for a number of clubs across the Dutch football pyramid as well as the Eredivisie.
The Eredivisie currently has a partnership with state-owned Holland Casino as its responsible gambling partner.
Several Dutch clubs recently announced new deals with gambling sponsors.
The most high profile of these was current Eredivisie champions AFC Ajax, who have just partnered with Kindred Group’s flagship brand Unibet, with the contract due to last until 2026. This could prove to be problematic if the proposal is passed in its current form.
Fellow Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar has also recently signed a new partnership with gambling sponsor Kansino, with the same end date as Ajax and Kindred.