ComplianceOne steps up Dutch efforts with NOGA membership

The Netherlands Online Gaming Association (NOGA) gained a new member this week in ComplianceOne, a group of companies centred around igaming compliance.

As a member of NOGA, ComplianceOne joins a range of B2C betting and gaming operators such as Entain – active in the market via BetCity.nl – Flutter Entertainment, Kindred Group and bet365, as well as multiple igaming suppliers.

The London-based company opened an office in the Netherlands in January 2022 as the Dutch gambling sector continued to grow, at the time just three months into market activity under the new regulatory framework of the KOA Act.

ComplianceOne is active in the company via its regulatory and operational compliance firm Diligence in Gaming, which signed a partnership with Smart Gaming to support the latter’s betnation.nl brand last year.

Mike de Graaff, Head of Regulatory Services & Assurance at Diligence in Gaming, said: “Joining the Netherlands Online Gambling Association is an important milestone for ComplianceOne Group as we look to further support our partners in the Netherlands. 

“With the Dutch regulatory landscape continuing to evolve, membership of NOGA helps us better serve the operators and suppliers finding exciting new opportunities in the market.”

The Dutch market has grown at a rapid pace since the KOA Act re-regulated the online space in October 2021. Starting off as a marketplace of 10 licensed operators overseen by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) – the Dutch Gambling Authority (DGA) – the Dutch sector has now grown to 24 firms with the latest addition of VBet.

ComplianceOne’s Diligence in Gaming has previously commented on the compliance challenges faced by Dutch operators, with de Graaff remarking: “Having worked with many licensed operators in the Netherlands since the framework went live in October 2021, the message I most often repeat is a simple one: treating regulation as a box ticking exercise won’t cut it.”

Duty of care has become a key area of concern for the KSA over the past year. The regulator extended its investigation into operator policies in this area back in March 2023 after identifying differences across various firms.

Meanwhile, for NOGA, the addition of ComplianceOne bolsters the association’s ranks at a time of further regulatory change in the Netherlands, with the implementation of a ban on ‘untargeted’ advertising on 1 July.

Peter-Paul de Goeij, Managing Director at NOGA, commented: “Building a thriving, safe and sustainable Dutch online gambling market requires world-class compliance know-how, so I’m thrilled to welcome ComplianceOne Group to NOGA. 

“The group’s expertise across both regulatory and technical compliance will be an important asset for our members.”