The Strict Dutch Laws Encourage Illegal Gambling, Affiliates Say

The Dutch market is known for its strict iGaming regulations. However, its uncompromising approach might be a double-edged sword as affiliates say that certain restrictions encourage illegal gambling.

In a letter to the Dutch House of Representatives, three affiliate companies, namely Betmanbegins, OddsBeater and CasinoNieuws.nl asked for certain changes. The letter was also signed by Betstreet Boys, a famous gambling podcast.

According to the letter, the prohibition of famous gambling offerings such as stats betting incentivizes local players to turn to the black market.

The letter says that prohibiting fan-favorite betting markets and gambling verticals does more harm than good. While the local regulator has been rather efficient in dealing with the black market, there are still many players who seek the offerings they wish illegally, simply because they are not available in the legal market.

One such example cited by the affiliates is a recent case where a man in Belgium placed bets on the behalf of Dutch citizens. He was eventually arrested but the sites he played with, the letter highlighted, offered none of the safeguards legal sites do.

The Letter Asked the Government to Make Changes

The affiliates cited the aforementioned case as clear evidence that players would rather play with illegal operators even if they have to work around the rules than miss out on certain markets and offerings.

The letter asked the Dutch government to rethink its stance on popular verticals, noting that this will do more to protect the customers. The affiliates claim that the Netherlands’ harsh stance on stats betting in particular is based on unfounded claims that it would incentivize match-fixing where athletes would earn penalties on purpose. However, the letter said that there are easy workarounds to prevent that.

While a major change may be unlikely, considering the Netherlands’ famous strictness when it comes to gambling, the affiliates hope that the government will consider their proposal.

The letter was signed by representatives of the four parties, which included Betmanbegins’ founder, Michael Mertens; OddsBeater’s co-founder Paul de Bruin; CasinoNieuws’ co-founder Frank Op de Woerd; and Betstreet Boys’ host, Jeffrey Noeken.

Speaking about the Netherlands’ diligence when it comes to regulating online gambling in the country, the Kansspelautoriteit recently imposed a $4.8 million fine on Gammix Limited. According to the regulator, the gambling company had offered gambling in the country despite lacking the license to do so legally.