Dutch Gambling Industry in the News — Weekly Round-up for August 31, 2018

By Brian Cullingworth, Last updated Aug 31, 2018

New Chairman For Dutch Gambling Regulatory Body

Former Dutch Healthcare Authority executive appointed to oversee Kansspelautoriteit

The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit has announced the appointment of former Dutch Health Authority executive René Jansen as chairman with effect from October 1 this year.

Jensen has previously served in management positions with the Dutch Competition Authority and the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Social Affairs & Employment. He replaces Jan Suyver, whose departure was confirmed earlier this year (see previous InfoPowa report).

The regulator has also appointed Bernadette van Buchem as its vice-chairman, effective October 15. She is presently consumer affairs director at the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, and has management experience with ABD Interim, the group of interim managers of the Dutch government.

Hopefully the new blood will help motivate Dutch parliamentarians to move with more energy on the Remote Gaming Bill, bringing regulated and licensed online gambling to the Netherlands after almost a decade of delays, debate, amendments and drafting.

The bill currently languishes in the Upper House of the Dutch parliament, two years after being approved by the Lower House, and is still being subjected to changes.

Betsson Group Subsidiary Fined By Dutch Regulator

Corona Ltd. operated the Oranje and Kroon online casino brands

Corona Limited, a subsidiary in the Betsson Group, operating the brands Oranje and Kroon, has received a fine of Euro 300,000 from the Dutch regulator, De Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), for offering gaming to customers in the Netherlands without a local licence.

Reporting the fine, Betsson said Friday that Corona is assessing whether to appeal the decision, and revealed that other Betsson assets were also investigated, but that the KSA established that there were no violations with regard to them.

Betsson AB acquired Corona Ltd in 2014 in anticipation of the re-regulation of the Dutch online gaming market, which according to public information was due to occur in 2015. In 2016, the lower house of the Dutch parliament approved the Remote Gaming Bill but the Senate has not yet approved the measure.

In June 2018, Government officials said that the coalition government in the Netherlands intended to resume the legislative process and were aiming at introducing the new regulation by 2020.

“Betsson shares KSA’s ambition to achieve a high channelisation of customers into any future locally regulated environment in the Netherlands and supports the Dutch Government’s ambition in moving forward with the legislative process,” Betsson CEO Pontus Lindwall said in a statement.

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