Dutch regulated gaming market set to open next week

As one of the most popular ways to have fun in the Netherlands, Dutch gamers have turned to casino gaming for a long time. However, the online casino industry looks set to change entirely within the next week. After a long series of disputes, votes, and decisions, the Dutch government has finally put into action a clearly regulated online casino market.

This comes into play as of next week, meaning that Dutch gamers will need to pick and choose the sites that they play on more carefully in the future.

Indeed, there has been a call placed to all unlicensed online gambling operators within the country. The message is clear: without a regulated license, they must shut down and cease operations within the Dutch market during the cooling-off period.

This cooling-off period will be introduced so that companies have enough time to shut down their operations within the country. After this period of time has passed, though, Dutch gaming sites who are not regulated will face severe sanctions for not playing by the rules.

As such, they will face a major showdown with the Dutch Gambling Authority, who hold full control over the regulation. Failure to get regulated and to still take part in the market, though, could lead to severe issues. It would also likely preclude a company from gaining a spot in the regulated market in the future.

The regulated market will open on the 1^st October, and will be a landmark moment within the Dutch gaming community. After so many years of discussion, the rules are officially changing and players – and platforms offering gambling – will need to adapt quickly. A failure to adapt will come with strong penalties, so there is a clear incentive for all involved to play along.

What does this mean for online casino gaming in the Netherlands?

In short, companies who are not willing to play by the rules in the regulated betting market could find themselves in hot water. It would also mean that any company who does take part will be meeting the agreed rules on fairness, competition, and more. This is likely to cause a schism within the industry, as many companied look to adapt huge swathes of their business offering in the face of new regulations.

Any operators who were ‘illegal’ in their operations will need to change quickly, though. The cooling off period is believed to be quite short, and thus it will leave companies with a short window to either adjust, get regulated, or move on from the lucrative Dutch marketplace.

The subject is going to be a major talking point at the Gaming in Holland conference. This falls on the 28^th September, just before the new regulations come in. This will mean that Gaming Authority chairman, Rene Jansen, will be speaking with various delegates from the biggest names in the Dutch online casino gaming scene.

With so many years of promises and policies now finally set to come into motion, it will be intriguing to see the short-term fallout.