Major developments have occurred within the Netherlands over online gambling. The government has stated that by 2015 Holland will open up its Internet gambling market. With this, a gambling authority will be created who will control any operations. The main reasons behind this move are not only to bring the gambling industry in line with other countries but also to increase revenue for sports related activities. It has been estimated that the auction of licenses for Internet gambling websites and lottery sites will amount to a yearly sum of approximately $14.1 million from the year 2012.
The Proposal
The proposal was put forward on 19th March 2011. This is a major development owning to the fact that previously the Netherlands was quite against online gambling, to the point that they took it as far as the highest courts within the European Union. It’s thought the move is mainly due to the fact that the new political party, elected in October of last year, is much more liberal than the previous administration.
The Present Situation
Within the Netherlands, it’s legal to gamble. However, the government has a very tight hold in terms of regulations, to the extent that all gambling throughout the country is under the control of the Holland Casino: the state gambling monopoly. This began as early as the 1970s with the introduction of the first ever casino in the Netherlands. This has since expanded to 14. The country has had a large amount of criticism from others within the EU due to this monopoly. Nevertheless, the Dutch has justified their legislation by stating that it ensures fair play for all involved.
In terms of online gambling, the story is slightly different. The Netherlands is not keen on outside gambling sites being used by Dutch residents. From 2005, there has been strong opposition to gambling over the internet. Currently, it’s possible for individuals living within the Netherlands to use gambling sites based within the country. However, these have still not been given Dutch governmental approval. In fact, the Dutch government has made its disapproval obvious. In 2008, it sent lists of major foreign Internet sites used for gambling to banks within the country. They insisted that no dealings should be made with these. However, the banks chose not to acknowledge this information, claiming that such a move would be illegal.
EU Pressure
Today, the EU continue to push for the gambling monopoly to be disbanded. In 2010, the biggest online gaming exchange in the world, Betfair, and the largest bookmaker within Britain, Ladbrokes, filed suits against the country over its gambling policies. However, they were unsuccessful. Within Europe- Britain, France, Sweden, Italy, and Austria currently regulate gambling online. It’s felt that the Netherlands should go as far as to bring in licensing for online poker, sports betting, and bingo. It’s also been put forward that licensing systems should be made clearer and that the competition should be opened up, as opposed to the current monopoly which is in place.