Dutch gambling debate unveils polarised politics

Yesterday’s political debate on gambling in the Netherlands saw a myriad of opinions clash about the direction that the legislation should take moving forward. As a reminder, the Netherlands is still in the process of implementing a list of reforms to the Remote Gaming Act (KOA) mandated by previous governments. Still, yesterday’s debate proved that the state of online Dutch gambling is still causing division amongst the political elite. Covered in detail by Frank Op de Woerd for media outlet Casinonieuws, State Secretary of Justice Claudia van Bruggen was addressed by nine MPs who raised distinct points around player protection and how online gambling is being regulated. More website blocking powers? First taking the stage was Mirjam Bikker, MP from ChristenUnie, who advocated for a broader advertising ban, faster blocking of illegal websites, and asked why the increase of the minimum gambling age to 21 has been delayed. The State Secretary agreed with Bikker’s position that illegal websites should be tackled more effectively, and explained that currently websites with the .nl domain are easily taken down, but those with foreign domains remain an issue as they fall out of the jurisdiction of the government to force domain blocking. Bruggen added that a draft law to introduce wider-reaching DNS blocking powers is currently in the works, scheduled to enter consultations sometime in early 2027. Concrete success markers needed On the age limit, she explained that an immediate increase to 21 will be counterintuitive for the intended goal of protecting young adults, and that a comprehensive analysis is needed first to prove that raising the limit actually reduces harm rather than pushing youth into the black market. Next up, MP Mohammed Mohandis from the Progressive Netherlands (PRO) party suggested that the government adopt concrete indicators to transparently measure gambling policy success each year. Furthermore, he also enquired about the effects of a potential privatisation of the Nederlandse Lotreij, and argued that the government should take a tougher stance against illegal operators by targeting financial institutions and intermediaries that facilitate payments to the black market – something that Dutch online gambling trade body VNLOK recently also pointed out as necessary. On the Dutch Lottery privatisation, van Brugge said that there is an ongoing study into the effects of such a move, and that the Research and Data Center (WODC) – part of the Ministry of Justice – is also currently conducting relevant research into the matter. Once all relevant data has been collected and assessed, the discussion of bringing Nederlandse Lotreij into private hands will again appear on the agenda. On the payments intermediaries, van Brugge agreed with Mohandis that targeting the financial infrastructure is vital, and confirmed plans to introduce clearer standards defining when a company ‘facilitates’ illegal gambling. Don’t buy new mops, turn off the tap Diederik van Djik from the conservative SGP party was perhaps the most critical in the MP lineup. He directly called for a complete withdrawal of the online gambling act, saying that the government should “turn off the tap” instead of “buying better mops”.Furthermore, the SGP MP was also adamant in his belief that a complete advertising ban should be introduced across all types of gambling, including land-based casinos and lotteries, while also questioning the government’s direct involvement in the sector through Holland Casino and the Nederlandse Loterij, calling for the abolition of the Dutch National lottery. Naturally, the State Secretary rejected all of van Djik’s points. She argued that as of now, there are 500,000 Dutch citizens who gamble online monthly, and pulling the legal offer out of the market would not stop the demand, but just transfer it to unregulated websites. A similar argument was raised for a complete ban on advertising, given that the licenced offer must be recognisable for Dutch gamblers. As for the abolishment of the National Lottery, van Bruggen completely brushed off the idea, saying that it has a much lower risk profile than other types of gambling, and asked that the focus of the debate be kept on online gambling. Party in power wants a balanced approach One of the more interesting statements came from Joost Sneller, MP for D66 – one of the two ruling parties. Sneller acknowledged that the re-regulation of the online gambling market has led to some damage, and called for a political self-reflection. However, he cautioned against the “waterbed effect” – a metaphor where a drunk is searching for his keys under a lamppost, as this is where the light is. In other words, Sneller argued that over-regulation will inevitably push players to the illegal market, and urged for a level-headed regulatory response. For Casinonieuws, Op de Woerd concluded: “There is a fundamental difference of opinion on reversing legalization, but she saw a lot of overlap on topics such as illegal websites, supervision, advertising, duty of care, and powers of the Ksa. “The direction of future gambling policy is becoming increasingly clear: stricter supervision, less space for online advertising, central financial protection, and much more attention to the illegal market.”