New responsible gambling regulations fully came into effect in the Netherlands on Tuesday. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

A new era

A set of regulations came into force in the Netherlands on Tuesday, including a monthly net deposit limit of €700 ($775) for online gamblers.

This cap drops to €300 ($332) for people between 18 and 25 years old. Anyone who exceeds the total in a calendar month is blocked from depositing until the first day of the following month.

Operators can permit gamblers to deposit as much as 30% of their income

If someone wants to bypass the cap, they need to show they have enough income to maintain that level of expenditure. Operators can permit gamblers to deposit as much as 30% of their income for any given month.

Plenty of alterations

Another incoming change that forms part of the Responsible Gambling Policy and Gambling Limits Regulation relates to new signups who set deposit limits. If they are aged under 26 years old and set their monthly cap to more than €350 ($387) or €150 ($166), they will receive a message or call from the casino’s support team to talk about the risks of excessive gambling.

Also, any current users who have limits exceeding the new thresholds will get a pop-up message asking them to think again about their limits. Those playing slot games will now clearly see the minimum permitted bet and the exact size of their wagers.

notifications will appear every 30 minutes during a person’s session

Finally, notifications will appear every 30 minutes during a person’s session, when they are halfway to their deposit limits, and when they hit them, warning them about excessive spending.

Protecting players

The country’s industry trade association, Vergunde Nederlandse Online Kansspelaanbieders (VNLOK), believes the new measures will help protect players. Its Chairperson Helma Lodders acknowledged the steps operators have already made to protect people, including stricter advertising rules.

Regulated online gambling launched in the Netherlands for the first time in October 2021.

The body doesn’t support other incoming changes, speaking out against a tax rise that’s coming into place in January on gambling revenues, with the total increase set to be 7.3% from current levels. The trade association believes this move will drive more people to black market platforms.