Dutch Politician Submits Motion to Completely Ban Gambling Ads
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Derk Boswijk of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party has proposed a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising in the Netherlands.
The ban would build upon laws introduced last July that prohibited advertising through television, radio, print, and in public spaces. Despite these measures, targeted advertising on platforms such as on-demand streaming services, social media, direct mail, and online gaming environments remained permissible.
Boswijk Aims to Protect the Young
Boswijk's motion is designed to protect the young and vulnerable from exposure to targeted gambling advertisements. He has received backing from politicians including Diederik van Dijk, Nicolien van Vroonhoven, Michiel van Nispen, and Mirjam Bikker, and the motion will be voted on next week in the House of Representatives.
In addition, Bikker has introduced a motion that proposes an overall playing time limit, rather than a time that applies to individual operators. This way, a player will not be able to switch to a second operator after reaching their time limit.
Giving Greater Priority to Player Protections
The laws that introduced the current ban on untargeted advertising are the result of a motion introduced by Bikker and Van Nispen in 2021. The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has set a goal that 95% of those shown in targeted adverts are at least 24 years old.
Last December, Franc Weerwind, the Netherlands minister for legal protection, introduced a number of additional measures designed to protect players from problem gambling following what he termed “worrying and undesirable developments” in the country’s gaming industry. These measures include compulsory contact with players setting high deposit of €350 and further research into gaming limits.
Gambling Industry Speaks Out
The chairman of the Dutch Online Gambling Association (NOGA), Peter-Paul de Goeij, has warned Weerwind that overregulation could cause legal gambling to become “unattractive”, implying that it will drive players to the black market. He said that they will be carefully studying the proposal and if necessary, suggest changes to help it achieve its desired results.
Helma Lodders, the chairman of the Licensed Dutch Online Gaming Providers (VNLOK), echoed this sentiment saying that it is important that the legal offering “remains sufficiently attractive” in order “to prevent them [players] from returning to the illegal supply.”
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