KSA Warns Operators to Not Exploit the Deposit Limits Laws

The Netherlands’ gambling regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit, isn’t thrilled by its licensees’ approach to spending limits. The authority’s chairman, René Jansen, appealed to the gambling operators, asking them to have more social and moral responsibility.

Operators Have Been Exploiting the Dutch Laws

According to the Dutch regulations, all gambling operators must require their users to set limits before playing. A bettor who wants to play in the Netherlands market must pick a playing time limit, a time spent limit and a deposit limit. However, operators themselves are not restricted about what limits should they offer.

Because of this, many gambling companies have been taking advantage of this vague system and have been quite liberal in the maximum limits they offer to gamblers.

Jansen is unhappy that many operators in the country have been offering ludicrous spending limits to bettors. He explained that players who are 23 years old or older are free to set a playing time limit of 24 hours a day and a deposit limit of $112,000 a day. Jansen pointed out that this defeats the purpose of spending limits and although it isn’t illegal, it is a clear exploit of the law.

Jansen Warns Operators Regulations Might Follow

Jansen asked operators to be more responsible when it comes to the betting limits and asked them to not seek to take advantage of the system for their own personal gain. The KSA chairman explained that operators should prioritize the safety of their players and should have a social and moral responsibility to the local bettor community.

 “It may not be to the letter, but it is to the spirit of the law to limit the limits to be set. Corporate social responsibility also has a moral side.”

KSA chairman René Jansen

Jensen added that he understands licensees want to compete with the illegal gambling operators but doesn’t think that such limits are necessary to that end.

He warned operators that if they persist and continue exploiting the law, the law will have no choice but to adapt and introduce new measures. Jansen gave Sweden as an example where something similar happened and in the end, the deposit limits were lowered and stricter control on advertising was introduced.

Jansen said that he doesn’t want things to come down to this but that they definitely will if operators don’t change their approach.

“My cautious assessment is that we could also go down that road in the Netherlands. If providers no longer take responsibility, of course.”

KSA chairman René Jansen

Since the launch of the Dutch market on October 1, 2021, the KSA has sought to create a healthy gambling ecosystem where customer experience and safety are the top priorities.