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The Dutch government published the complete draft of the ban on advertising and recruitment of “untargeted” betting companies, with a July 1st start date.
Operators in the Netherlands must adhere to a stricter policy of advertising from that date. The measures include a ban of televised advertising and marketing in public spaces, such as billiards or printed media.
Bookmakers have more freedom to advertise online and on social media. Companies may continue to advertise online and on social media, but they must prove that the material is aimed at audiences over 24 years old.
Franc Weerwind (Minister for Legal Protection, Ministry of Justice and Security), the architect of this legislation, submitted the document to The Hague on 5 April.
After the first licenses were granted, Dutch political observers expressed concern over the rise in advertising.
Weerwind explained that the Dutch online gambling sector has been maturing for less than three years and “the amount advertising for remote games” of chance have increased dramatically.
The Minister stated that people with experience in addiction and those who are involved with addiction care have expressed their concern about the amount of untargeted advertisements.
Research also shows that remote games of luck are often advertised through channels with a wide audience. Addicts to games of luck are unable to avoid the advertising of games of fortune in their everyday lives.
Weerwind acknowledged that advertising fulfills a core purpose of the KOA Act legislation that regulated the market in 2021. That is, promotion of the regulated offer.
Weerwind added, “It is hard to quantify the exact effects of the vast amount of untargeted marketing and its wide and untargeted audience.”
This is because we do not know how many players are currently playing on the black market and have in the past.
It is not clear how many Dutch players switched from illegal to legitimate providers, or how many new players joined the market.
The government and the KSA both agree that the marketing of licensed bookmakers is a way to direct punters towards legal operators who adhere to the standards for player protection enforced by KSA.
Legislators and addiction treatment experts are concerned that the advertising could be too broad, potentially exposing underage and young consumers to betting products with age restrictions.
Weerwind has confirmed the launch date of the advertising ban on July 1, keeping in line with his recent legislative goals. In March, he had said that the ban wouldn’t come into effect later than today.
