Dutch market launch set for lengthy delay, says Unibet

The Netherlands’ regulated online gambling market is unlikely to meet its 1 January 2015 target date with preparations expected to continue into the end of 2015, according to Unibet’s general counsel Ewout Keuleers.

In an interview with eGaming Review, Keuleers said the chances of a re-regulated Dutch market launching in Q1 2015 were slim as the Government still needed to approve the final version of the Dutch Remote Gambling Act which would then need to be finalised in Parliament.

“I think the most optimistic date we can expect the Bill to be finalised is Q2 2015 and then there’s all the secondary legislation and licence application process, which if it started by the end of 2015 would be a very conservative forecast,” he said.

“Our view is that re-regulation is very good but it also needs to happen and happen relatively fast as it’s now time to move forward because this transition phase has taken over three years which is too long,” Keuleers added.

Earlier this week Unibet delegates attended the Gaming in Holland conference where its CEO Henrik Tjärnström argued for the lowering of the proposed tax rate from 20% of gross gaming revenues to 10%.

According to the Stockholm-listed operator a 20% gaming tax rate would lead to a substantial grey market with 43% of Dutch customers betting outside the regulated market in the first year.

Over four years the operator predicts 20% of the market will still remain in the hands of unlicensed operators.

“We are pushing for a 10% [tax rate] as it increases channelling and helps the market become more sustainable and with a positive dynamic,” Keuleers said.

“How can they say in advance that they are happy that it doesn’t channel 20% of the consumers, which is roughly 200,000 Dutch customers?” he said.

“As a policy maker should you not have the ambition to channel as much as possible and protect consumers,” he added.