Dutch Remote Gaming Bill in question after contentious Senate hearing
Final vote could be delayed if further Senate questions remain unanswered
The future of the Dutch Remote Gaming Bill was thrown into question yesterday following the first day of Senate hearings on the bill.
The plenary session was suspended as a majority of the Senate requested more clarity on the bill from Dutch Minister of Justice Sander Dekker
The Minister will provide written answers on three questions by Friday before the session resumes Tuesday 12 February.
Dutch outlet Gaming in Holland, which attended the debate, said afterwards: “While there seems to exist a solid majority for the regulation of online gaming in the Senate, it is now suddenly unclear whether there is also a majority for the Remote Gaming Bill in its present form. Despite our earlier optimism, the bill appears to be in at least some danger. If the Senate rejects the bill, we’ll have to go back to the Lower House.”
During the hearing, the ruling People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy and the Dutch Green Party, confirmed their support for the proposals, but representatives from the Dutch Labour Party (PvDa) expressed concerns about the opening up of the Dutch market to operators.
In its statements to the Senate, the PvDa called for a two-to-three year “blackout” period for any operator which had previously been found to be operating in the Dutch market illegally.
Representatives from the Christian Democratic Alliance said they were “not yet persuaded” by the merits of passing both the Remote Gaming Bill and the Casino Reform Bill.
Minister Dekker stressed the need for urgent reform of the Dutch market, saying that doing nothing “means that the black market will only continue to grow”. Dekker also echoed previous comments made by the Dutch Gambling Authority that enforcement alone was not effectively reducing reducing this market.
Following a heated debate, senators issued Dekker with three written questions on which responses are needed prior to the expected final Senate vote on 12 February.
The first question concerned the exact definition of what will constitute an illegal operator under the new framework and requires confirmation of the “exact legal basis” on which operators previously active in the Dutch market can be excluded from the new regulated market.
Dekker said “If we exclude everyone who has been active in the Dutch market, we will harm player channeling rate.”
In the second question senators requested clarification from Dekker on the specific measures being used to restrict gambling advertising on websites and through social media.
The final question concerned how the Dutch government would block access to illegal operator sites by Dutch players, with ISP blocking and DNS notices reportedly being considered as measures in this area.
Debates will continue until 12 February, however the timing of the final vote could be delayed beyond this point if responses to the questions are not received.