This past Thursday the government of the Netherlands got one step closer to an historic decision to allow legal online sports betting and gambling online in they country. They could soon become the latest nation to legalize online gambling after they passed legislation by the European country’s House Of Representatives two days ago.
The Dutch Remote Gaming Bill was ratified by the lower house and many expect it to be “rubber stamped” by the Senate later on this year. That means that its regulations could come into force as early as next year if all goes well for the motion. The news was first reported by an Amsterdam-based gaming consultancy ‘Revenue Engineers’.
Revenue Engineers stated publically that the legislation, which will be warmly welcomed by online gaming firms, will allow them to “to make a move” into the Dutch market. The new law will pave the way for The Netherlands to operate a fully regulated online gambling market thereby creating a “wealth of new opportunities for operators and providers”.
The Dutch Remote Gaming Bill did go through after a number of amendments before being approved, one amendment included the prohibition of lotteries and land-based casino operators from utilizing existing player databases in order to promote their online offerings. Another major amendement was to require brick-and-mortar casinos to erect physical entry and player identification barriers, and demanded that these casinos would have to contribute to a ‘problem gambling fund’ aimed at helping addicts.
“We are absolutely delighted to see the Dutch Remote Gaming Bill finally pass through parliament,” read a statement from Jaspar Hoekert from Revenue Engineers. “While there are some aspects of the legislation that are not ideal, this is still a very workable framework and I am confident that The Netherlands will quickly emerge as one of Europe’s most important gaming jurisdictions. For any operators or providers looking to make the most of this new opportunity, it is important to act quickly and seek local expertise.”
No doubt, this is great news for local Dutch online bettors who will surely be readying their bets, and with open arms will welcome the Netherlands to the fold.
