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Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has released the results of its six-month investigation into newspapers promoting unregulated gambling activities in the country.
In the report published yesterday (Mar 20), the regulator announced that the investigation focused on the promotion of illegal gambling sites in online newspapers and Dutch magazines, following multiple reports of such activity.
KSA said it looked at promotion in the broader sense, which means it focused both on the traditional form of advertising along other forms of promotions within the newspapers. The investigation uncovered that multiple publications were running ads in written articles for platforms that were not registered with Cruks, the national self-exclusion scheme in the Netherlands.
The regulator also announced that its research team reached out to 42 editorial offices during the course of the study and warned them about the dangers of their articles.
The KSA research team successfully instructed all newspapers with promotional gambling articles to remove direct links to unregulated platforms and any affiliated websites promoting them. Editors of the affected publications also received guidance on how to prevent future violations.
Players Should Only Gamble On Sites Registered with Cruks
Under Dutch regulations, all licensed gambling sites are required to integrate Cruks into their systems. This allows players to self-exclude for certain periods of time and prevent themselves from losing money.
The KSA highlighted the dangers of players gambling on these sites that are not part of the self-exclusion scheme. Since operators outside the Dutch jurisdiction are not bound by these rules, promoting them can pose significant risks to vulnerable players seeking to control their gambling.
“Registration with Cruks allows players to take a break if they feel that they no longer have their gambling behaviour under control,” the regulator said. “However, this research proves players are sometimes tempted to gamble illegally and even to play without Cruks without realising it.
“Active promotion aimed at this vulnerable target group is therefore very harmful. Illegal providers do not have a licence and do not protect players against problematic gambling or gambling addiction.”
Tipster site Analyse Master Also Causing Concerns
KSA also concluded an investigation into tipster site Analyse Master recently. The platform offers prediction and betting insights into popular football and sports events.
The regulator didn’t find the site to have violated any rules but voiced concerns over its popularity among young adults, who are more prone to gambling addiction.
“The current advertising bans apply specifically to gambling providers and not to third parties such as Analyse Master,” said KSA chair Michel Groothuizen.
“The fact that there are channels on social media that promote sports betting among young adults is a very undesirable and worrying development, because young adults are vulnerable and susceptible to gambling addiction.
“I am pleased that state secretary Struycken also announced in his recent vision on gambling that he wants to adjust the advertising rules, so that we as a supervisory authority can also take active action against these types of parties.”
Netherlands Undergoing Major Gambling Reform
This probe comes on the heels of broader discussions in the Dutch gambling market. Recently, stakeholders convened for a full-day session where the KSA, along with operators and addiction care networks, presented recommendations for upcoming regulatory changes.
The regulator proposed a more comprehensive Cruks, arguing that the current one wasn’t doing enough to help players. The new proposal would see longer mandatory exclusion for players who were involuntarily added to the list.
With an updated gambling act expected to reach parliament by year-end, the focus remains on improving responsible gambling measures, which include stricter advertisement rules and addressing the challenges posed by the illegal market.
Source: iGamingBusiness
