Legal gambling on the internet a step closer in the Netherlands

The Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security has published a draft version of the so-called ‘lower regulation’ for online gambling sites. It is a 124-page file that actually contains nothing that is remarkable. The document explains, among other things, which rules will enter into force with the new gambling law. With this, the new Betting and Gaming Act and thus the legalization of online gambling in the Netherlands comes a step closer.

Next Thursday there will be a general meeting with Minister Sander Dekker about the functioning of the Gaming Authority and the elaboration of what has been agreed in the coalition agreement on gambling.

What will be the rules?

What rules will apply when you want to play at an online casino in the Netherlands? You can read this in the aforementioned document, but we have listed a number of important rules right here.

First name, last name, place of birth, physical address, telephone number, e-mail address, date of birth and gender are mandatory when registering.
You must enter your BSN number when registering. If you do not have a Dutch identity card, this is of course not possible, but the casino will then validate your identity in a different way. When there is doubt about your identity, you will not be able to play.
When registering, the casino will immediately check with CRUKS, the central register for the exclusion of games of chance in the Netherlands.
The casino must verify your details within 30 days. This is possible, for example, when you make a payment from a bank account in your name.
When registering, you have to set a number of player limits, such as the number of times you are allowed to log in, a maximum amount of deposits in a certain period and the maximum amount that is allowed on your bank role. The question here is how big the interval is when you want adjust these limits.

In addition to these rules for registering, there are also rules for depositing and withdrawing at online casinos.

You can only enter one account as a ‘contra account’. When you want to pay, the money is always transferred to this account. This can be a bank account, but e-wallets such as Neteller or Skrill are also allowed.
Before your identity has been checked, you may deposit up to € 1500 in total and not make any payments.
You can only make a payout once you have deposited at least one time from your contra account.
An online casino is not allowed to offer credit or to mediate in lending.
Anonymous payment methods are not permitted.

Another good rule is that casino games in ‘fun mode’ must behave exactly the same as the paid version. It is therefore not possible that a game in ‘fun mode’, where you do not play real money, shows bonuses and big wins more often than in the paid version in order to lure new players.

At Casinokings Club we also wonder if reverse withdrawal options are forbidden or manual flushing must be offered so that players can protect their payouts and are not tempted to reverse payouts. Something that gives many online casinos reason to do unnecessarily long about payouts in the hope that players will play again with their winnings.

Will the Netherlands finally have a new gambling act in 2019? We will keep you informed.