Dutch Gambling Regulator Worries About Proposed Age Limit Hike

The Dutch gambling industry has become a hot topic in national discussions after the government suggested new rules to tighten control. State Secretary for Legal Protection Teun Struycken unveiled an updated policy plan last Friday. This plan included major steps to reduce gambling-related harm. However, people now worry about the possible side effects of these ideas and the plan to increase the minimum age for risky online gambling from 18 to 21 years.

Groothuizen Cautiously Backs Responsible Gambling Push but Warns of Risks

Michael Groothuizen, who heads the Dutch gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), gave a guarded welcome to Struycken’s renewed emphasis on responsible gambling. He applauded the government’s goals but had doubts about raising the age limit. Groothuizen worries this shift might push younger players to use illegal unregulated gambling services, which lack safeguards for consumers.

Groothuizen pointed out that setting the age limit higher sends a clear signal about the dangers linked to online gambling. He compared it to the successful choice in 2014 to up the legal drinking age from 16 to 18. However, he stressed a big difference: unlike alcohol, illegal gambling sites are easy to find online. This makes it simpler for teens to get around the rules with just a few mouse clicks.

These worries are made worse by new numbers from the KSA showing a concerning pattern in the gambling market. While 91% of Dutch players now use legal gambling services, the part of gambling money that licensed operators get has gone down a lot. The Dutch Lottery changed how they report data, and it showed that the gross gaming revenue (GGR) channelling rate is 50%, which is less than the 80% they thought before. This means that half of the money spent on gambling is going to the unregulated market.

KSA Chief Supports Deposit Limits but Warns of Challenges for Legal Operators

Groothuizen emphasized the importance of strong measures to fight the expanding black market. He was pleased with the government’s pledge to boost the KSA’s enforcement capabilities, including the power to shut down illegal gambling websites. Also, the KSA is working with banks and payment providers to stop money transfers related to unauthorized operators, with the goal to make these illegal platforms less attractive.

One more important idea from the government is to put in place deposit limits for all types of gambling to stop people from losing too much. Groothuizen likes this plan, but he pointed out that making these limits work could be tricky for legal gambling companies. Even with these concerns early numbers show that the new deposit limits have worked well.

They have brought down the average loss per account from €117 ($122) to €83 ($87) and cut the GGR of legal operators by 10%.To wrap up, Groothuizen stressed how crucial it is to keep a strong legal gambling market to protect players and stop illegal gambling. He asked lawmakers to be careful when making rules. They need to find the right balance so they do not push more players to use unregulated options where there are no safety measures at all.