The Netherlands Gaming Authority Kansspelautoriteit has published its 2019 annual report and the 2020 monitoring agenda, revealing that activities under the Remote Gambling Act continue to have priority.

The report has been published following the decision to modernise the Dutch gambling policy in February 2019 as the Senate passed the Remote Gambling Bill, an amendment to the 1964 Gambling Act.

The annual report explains that activities in 2019 are reported on the basis of the statutory task of the Ksa, these are: protecting consumers, preventing gambling addiction, combating illegality and crime and providing information.

It reveals that in 2019, Ksa imposed a record amount of fines in the region of €3.5m for the illegal provision of online games.

René Jansen, chairman of the board of directors, states: “In 2019, a record amount of fines of €3.5m was imposed, but to be honest, it sometimes felt a bit like mopping with the tap open. Moreover, with one hand on his back, because the current law has few enforcement powers. The Ksa is better able to protect consumers in a regulated market.

“Gambling in man has existed since ancient times and millions of Dutch people enjoy it but we must not close our eyes to the risks. Through our daily digital clipping newspaper, we are regularly confronted with the miserable consequences of gambling addiction

“Often they do not only affect the gambling addict: the social environment of the gambling addict almost always feels the serious consequences. The Netherlands is relatively late in legalising online gambling. It is not without reason.”

The new law, which is likely to be enforced on January 1, 2021, will legalise and regulate online gambling and set additional requirements for addiction prevention.

The 2020 monitoring agenda explains that keeping the Remote Gambling Act on track has priority this year. It states that in order to maintain credible supervision of the current licence holders in 2020, “robust” choices will have to be made.

The Ksa will focus its supervision on three priorities: preventing minors from participating in games of chance, addiction prevention and combating illegal games of chance and crime.

In regards to minors, the Ksa wants license holders to take “sufficient” measures to ensure that young people cannot use its gambling offers, with a further focus on gambling elements in games.

For addiction prevention licensees must recognise and control problematic playing behaviour in a timely manner and make sure key sectors, such as consumers and healthcare institutions, are well informed.