Dutch regulator receives 28 applications for igaming licences

Dutch gambling regulator the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has so far received 28 applications from operators seeking to offer online gambling products in the country’s regulated market, which is scheduled to open later this year.

The KSA this month launched the licencing process after the new national Remote Gambling Act came into effect on 1 April, with the market set to launch on 1 October.

According to the KSA, all 28 applicants have paid the required €48,000 (£41,578/$57,787) fee as part of their submission.

If successful with their applications, these operators will be permitted to offer online games of chance via approved websites when the market opens in October.

“The intention of the law is to channel players from illegal providers to legally reliable providers,” KSA chairman René Jansen said. “With this number of applications, I am confident that there will soon be a sufficiently attractive and varied offer to achieve this objective.”

Last month, the KSA said it anticipated receiving approximately 40 applications for igaming licences, with the expectation of awarding around 35 permits.

The Remote Gambling Act was originally supposed to come into effect on 1 July 2020, but was delayed three times prior to finally moving into place this month.

Operators applying for Dutch licences are required to have in place an effective responsible gambling strategy and agree to connect with the country’s Central Register of Exclusion of Gambling (Cruks).

In addition, operators must provide the Control Database (CDB) with their own data captured from games, allowing the KSA to carry out remote monitoring of game systems.

Original Article