Responding to questions from parliament on 12 March, state secretary for legal protection Teun Struycken reaffirmed the need for greater player protection but noted a complete ban on gambling advertisements was not in favour. Struycken also suggested it was possible Belgian cases of circumvention could be repeated in the Netherlands.
Since 1 January, sports clubs in Belgium have not been allowed to display gambling sponsors on their team shirts. However, there is a view this is being bypassed by operators.
For instance, the football Club Brugge was sponsored by Unibet. Now, the jersey is displaying “U-experts”, the name of an application made by Unibet that links to its casino offering. Cercle Brugge’s jersey sponsor also changed from “Golden Palace Casino” to “Golden Palace News”.
A total ban on sports sponsorship by licensed online gambling providers will come into force on 1 July in the Netherlands. The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has indicated it is the responsibility of the gambling providers to comply with the law and are accountable even if the advertising is done by other parties involved in the marketing chain.
However, lawmakers have raised concerns the ban would be circumvented by online gambling companies, as seen in Belgium.
Addressing these concerns, Struycken told lawmakers: “I cannot rule out that there are parties in the Netherlands that will try to display sponsor names or logos related to their gambling company in a similar way as in Belgium. If this happens, the gaming authority will use all legal means to prevent or stop this.”
He has recommended that further limitations on online gambling advertisements be put in place, as well as an amendment to the Gambling Act that would take into account the larger advertising chain, such as marketing companies and internet platforms.
Total advertising ban not favoured
The Dutch regulator, via the state secretary, has informed the parliament it is not in favour of a total advertising ban as players need some information on where they can go to gamble legally.
KSA is advocating that the advertising rules be changed so it moves from a model where all advertising is permitted as long as it meets set conditions, to one where all adverts for games of chance are prohibited, except when expressly allowed.
Struycken told parliament: “KSA has expressed the wish that the advertising rules will apply to everyone instead of just to the permit holders, as is currently the case. In this way, the KSA can take direct action against the advertisers themselves, such as news sites or football clubs.”
With regard to underage citizens encountering gambling advertisements, Struycken noted it would be impossible to completely prevent this from happening as long as gambling is part of sports sponsorship in other countries.
Gambling Act review
The Netherlands conducted a review of its gambling polices last year. Published in November, the report said measures to protect players from harm and develop responsible gambling practices were failing. It concluded the Remote Gambling Act did not create a safe or sustainable market that fit the brief of the legislation’s original policy aims.
The legal Dutch online gambling market launched in October 2021, with the act regulating the sector. Proposed in a new gambling bill, put forward by Struycken, is a change of the age limit on slots from 18 to 21.
KSA imposed mandatory online deposit limits with operators last October. However, it was noted these measures could be further tightened to include a financial capacity test for those gamblers seeking a raise on their monthly deposit limit. Currently, deposit limits are set at €300 (£255/$325) for players aged between 18 and 24 and €700 for players aged over 24.
“For me, the most important starting point is protecting all citizens from gambling-related harm,” Struycken said. “In doing so, I go beyond preventing addiction and also look at other harm that participation in gambling can cause, such as debts.
The KSA has already advised there is a likelihood some players who gamble past these limits have switched to illegal providers.
