For years now, the Netherlands has been focusing on legislation that would enable online casinos and sportsbooks in the country to operate legally, but the market for Dutch online gambling has already expanded tremendously and is destined to explode, according to experts in the betting field.
Experts underlined the potential of the Dutch market as a whole in a white paper:
In 1964, the Netherlands enacted laws that govern all gambling-related activities. For more than half a century now, the Netherlands has had its own special system of gambling and lottery. The legislation was hopelessly out of date by the time the very first online casinos appeared, having been drafted in an era before the internet.
There was also an intention to reform Dutch gambling laws in 2012 when a new gambling authority was established, the Kansspelautoriteit (shortened as KSA). In addition to regulating online gambling, this new rule would also take into account the dynamic landscape for players.
The law took full effect in February of 2021. Providers can now begin the process of submitting an application for a license. Websites will go online on October 1, 2021, six months after the new modifications are introduced.
How to Choose a Good Betting Site in the Netherland
Since the Dutch are known for their love of sports, it’s expected that they love to bet on their favorite matches as well. Finding a good and reliable sports betting site in the Netherlands isn’t as hard as it seems. The first step you should take in finding a good bookie is reading some reviews on sites like Reddit. Alternatively, you could check out these UKGC betting sites, which is a great way to start your betting journey.
The Remote Gambling Act of the Netherlands Has Certain Rules
In the Netherlands, the gambling sector has long been subject to a rigorous set of regulations. Despite the Remote Betting Act allowing private enterprises to join the new market and allowing new forms of games, the distinctive Dutch approach of putting a strong priority on player security is still evident in its details.
Players’ social security numbers must be automatically entered into a central registry (CRUKS) at both brick-and-mortar and internet casinos. Self-exclusion from all authorized websites will be possible. Players will be unable to visit websites and operators will be unable to promote them if a player is excluded. Lotteries are exempt from the CRUKS.
Marketing and promotional tactics are subject to stringent guidelines.
IDIN-based age verification is required by law.
Controledatabank (CBD), the KSA’s control database, is required participation. Using this database, the KSA will be able to keep tabs on every activity at internet casinos.
In terms of gambling revenue, how big is the Dutch market?
There was a 9 percent increase in the Dutch gambling market’s contribution to GDP in 2018, the most recent year for which complete figures are available. Illegal internet gambling accounts for 9% of total income in 2015, according to one estimate. Legal online gambling channels will soon be available.
These soon-to-be-legal operators generated revenue of €185 million, assuming growth in line with the legal offer. It’s extremely doubtful that all gamers who use these illicit pathways are fanatical about paying their gambling tax, hence this statistic is based on gambling tax income. The real market size is even more difficult to assess.
The Dutch betting Industry is Expanding
The gaming industry is expanding. The TOTO case study showed that online sports betting generated €127.4 million in revenue. Overall, the company’s sales increased to €275 million. Since 2011, Holland Casino, the country’s only land-based casino chain, has seen a huge increase in income.
Since 2014, JHV Gaming has established an average of two new sites each year in the Netherlands, making it the biggest market in gambling halls (which solely provide slots and roulette machines). One of its rivals, Fair Play Casinos, plans to open one new facility every year on average. Having joined the Dutch market in 2013, Novomatic now has 20 venues open (or major investments).
Statistical data also shows that the overall number of Dutch citizens who gambled online increased from approximately 1.3 million to 1.86 million in 2018, showing a comparable trend over the same period. According to the data, there is a rising market ready to accept online gaming and betting in its fullest form.
Conclusion
It wasn’t until nearly a decade after the Dutch government chose to allow online gambling that the industry grew to tens of millions of euros in income. There is every reason to believe that from September 1, 2021, sports betting on the legal TOTO network and actual betting in Netherlands Casino and gaming halls will explode. The typical Dutch player already spends more than twice as much as the average German player.