KSA Chair Rene Jansen reflects on regulated Dutch market s early progress

Players in the Netherlands have largely backed the country’s regulated online gambling market, according to Rene Jansen, Chair of the Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA)

Players inward the The Netherlands have got mostly backed the country’s regulated online gambling market, according to Rene Jansen, Chair of the Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA).

Commenting on the regulator’s yearbook written report for 2021, Cornelis Jansen noted the identification number of players gaming with unlicensed operators had “fallen sharply.”

The Chair highlighted that 634,000 iGaming accounts had been created 'tween the regulated market’s set in motion in Oct 2021 and the commencement of March 2022. However, he also acknowledged that people will likely have multiple accounts crosswise several sites, so this keep down is non necessarily reflective of the market’s nominal participant base.

But citing estimates that ace gazillion Dutch consumers on occasion or to a greater extent often take part inwards online gambling, and combined with information showing a superior general stifling of illegal websites, the Chair considered the regulated market, so far, a success.

“The supplement includes a chart which clearly shows that the effectual offer has for the most part suppressed the illegal offer up since 1 Oct 2021,” stated Jansen.

“That was exactly the intention of the Remote Gambling Act: people who want to run a risk online should follow capable to make so inwards a safe, regulated environment.”

But spell to a greater extent people seem to follow play with licensed operators, the clip they expend on gaming sites has increased. Cornelis Jansen attributed this jump to heightened media attention surrounding the regulated market’s launch, as advantageously as subsequent publicizing efforts from operators.

“The tot identification number of hours that consumers spend on play sites has been greater than before 1 October,” he said.

“An account could follow that the legalisation of online games of chance drew consumers’ attention to its existence.

“After all, in the run-up to legalisation in that respect was a lot of media attending for online games of chance. And of course of study at that place has been a lot of publicizing since 1 October.”

In response to this, Cornelis Jansen said the Minister for Legal Protection Franc Weerwind had announced “far-reaching measures” to combat this uprise inwards advertising, while the sphere itself has also sworn voluntary restrictions.

He added: “It is too ahead of time to say whether the increased total playing hours since 1 Oct is a structural development.”