Netherlands in the News — Weekly Round-up for January 11, 2019

By Brian Cullingworth, Last updated Jan 11, 2019

Dutch Authority Launches Minors Reporting Facility

Whistleblower form to tackle operators enabling underage gambling

The Dutch gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has launched a whistleblowing facility for minors who participate in sports betting.

The KSA urges parents, teachers, friends or others to make use of the facility in reporting minors who take part in sports betting on a Minors Reporting Form accessible through the authority’s website.

Minors are also encouraged to use the facility and are assured the information will not be used to sanction them but to deal with illegal sports betting providers.

The initiative forms part of the KSA’s 2019 agenda in preventing vulnerable people and protecting the youth from gambling, saying “gambling providers must make every effort to prevent minors from participating.”

Dutch Tax Office Loses Appeal On Taxing Online Poker Players

Court rules in favour of PokerStars.eu customers

According to Dutch.nl, scores of online poker players have won an appeal in a class action against the Dutch Tax Office Belastingdienst who claimed online poker players winnings on PokerStars.eu were taxable at 29 percent as the company was established on the Isle of Man.

The class action rebutted that PokerStars.eu was established in Malta, a European Union member and therefore its players were exempt from paying tax.

Of the 75 to 100 poker players represented by legal practitioner Pepijn le Heux, some had received tax demands of over Euro 500,000 the appellate court was told.

The appellate court ruled those players who had already settled tax claims with the Belastingdienst could use Tuesday’s ruling to claim back those funds.

Belastingdienst has six weeks to launch an appeal in the Supreme Court.

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