KSA chairman vows to keep “eye on the ball” as licensed regime edges closer
Rene Jansen predicts intensive months ahead and throws support behind government decision to postpone market launch
Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) chairman Rene Jansen insists the regulator has its “eye on the ball” despite licensed market launch being delayed a third time.
In an op-ed on the KSA website, Jansen said the decision to postpone the launch until 1 October was a necessary one, despite pushing the KSA’s licensing ambitions back by another month.
This is the third time the process has been pushed back, with the so-called cooling-off period also extended by a further month.
“It is good that there is now a date that everyone can work towards. Every week, the KSA takes important steps towards a careful and efficient procedure for processing licence applications,” Jansen wrote.
“Although we are well on track, an extra month to set up the temporary department that will handle licence applications for online games of chance is welcome. But the parties that want to apply for a gaming licence also have a lot of work to do,” he added.
The KSA chief cited a high level of interest from operators seeking Dutch licences, as evidenced by an increasing number of firms signing up for regular updates from the regulator.
As previously revealed, the KSA has agreed to set up a temporary department to deal with licence applications, as well as giving operators more flexibility in the delivery of application documentation required as part of the process.
Jansen is seemingly under no illusions at the scale of the challenge ahead for the regulator in facilitating the launch. “It will undoubtedly be intensive months,” he said. “Everyone is busy and feels the difficult circumstances of the measures to control the coronavirus.
“In times like that, it is good to keep an eye on the question why this modernisation of gambling policy is actually necessary. In football terms: to keep an eye on the ball.
“From the perspective of the KSA, this is clearly the belief that the Remote Gaming Act is in the interest of the consumer, the player. After all, the mission of the KSA is ‘play safely’,” he concluded.