Technical compliance will be key to avoiding Dutch drama

The gaming industry has been waiting for a near eternity for the Netherlands to roll out its new online gaming framework.

It now appears that we are less than a year away from the opening of the new regime, but there is still a sense that not everyone will be fully prepared.

Of course, this is hardly unfamiliar territory. When Sweden finally rolled out its new framework at the start of 2019, operators were caught so flat-footed that a series of heavy fines were dished out and one major operator even lost its licence.

But while much of the focus on the Netherlands has been on the regulatory outlook, one area where there has been less attention given is that of technical and product compliance.

Draft technical requirements

While the Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has outlined a series of ‘duty of care’ guidelines for operators preparing to apply for a licence in the jurisdiction, advice to suppliers looking to certify content in the Netherlands is currently less clear.

We currently only have early, draft requirements, and the signs are that the Netherlands will not look to rewrite the rulebook.

There are requirements relating to game fairness, bet placement, game instructions, payout ratios, prizes and paylines, which must be clear and concise as well as available to players at all times including before a user commits to a game.

On top of this, we are also seeing proposals for requirements relating to jackpots, such as ensuring the jackpot does not contribute to a game’s overall RTP – something familiar to suppliers active in other highly regulated markets.

The Netherlands has also outlined some details relating to change management requirements, similar to those active in Denmark, albeit using some different terminology.

And finally there are detailed ISMS requirements. Again, these don’t differ too much from other jurisdictions, as they also heavily reference existing ISO27001 controls.

Of course, these are only preliminary draft requirements and are subject to change. But they do show an intention from the KSA, much as we saw in Sweden, to take a risk-based approach and demand some of the highest standards in the world from suppliers.

Moving quickly

Whatever the final technical compliance requirements for suppliers in the Netherlands, the one guarantee will be the need to move quickly to secure market share.

The Netherlands could quickly grow into one of Europe’s most attractive markets, so we know competition will be intense. The KSA has already noted that almost 200 operators have expressed interest in entering the country, and this presents a major opportunity for suppliers.

But as we have seen with other newly regulated markets with a heavy compliance burden, agility has been the name of the game for both operators and suppliers.

Rolling out new content in highly regulated jurisdictions has been a challenge – even in markets which don’t require specific B2B licences.

Adapting key features of games – such as jackpot functionality – to ensure content complies with specific, country-specific regulations can be a headache, particularly for providers working across numerous markets.

Conducting gap analysis and ensuring all technical requirements are met in a timely manner is a huge challenge, and requires both expertise and the correct tools.

This in turn requires a change of mentality and the way we treat technical compliance. For too often it has served as an afterthought in the development and launch of content.

In a dotcom environment where this content must be adapted to specific regulations across multiple jurisdictions, flexibility has never been more important.

Content must be developed with both current and potential future specifications in mind.

This is the only way to ensure suppliers can roll out new games into multiple markets without significant delay.

And with the regulated Dutch egaming market opening in a few months, such delays could be fatal for those looking to build a footprint.