The Netherlands government has published regulations underlining the key points of the Remote Gaming Act with parliamentarians able to submit their views, as online sports betting moves a step closer.

The regulations form part of the Remote Gaming Decree, setting out how operators should behave, and certain conditions which must be met, in order to obtain a licence.

Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), will be in charge of handling licence applications, which will be available to operators for five years. The KSA will make a final decision on applications within six months of submissions.

The licenses will cover online betting, such as peer-to-peer casino games like poker,  casino games where players bet against the house and horse racing. Sports betting is also covered, but odds will not be permitted on youth or amateur competitions, as well as on events that are deemed ‘easy to manipulate.’ However, the online lottery will not be included.

Gambling adverts will not be allowed to be shown until after a 9pm watershed. Justice Minister Sander Dekker, in a letter to parliament, warned against tighter restrictions on advertising, and would consider adding a six-month extension to the two-year cooling off period, where operators who had previously targeted Dutch players without a licence, would be unable to enter the market in that time.

The Dutch senate approved a draft bill on Remote Gambling in February 2019, with online gambling, which is currently illegal, set to go live in the Netherlands from 1 July 2021, six months later than the original date of 1 January.