The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has highlighted three main areas which it will focus on during the Euros – prevention, supervision and enforcement.
In preparation for an expected surge in placed bets and gambling advertising during a summer of sports, the watchdog is tightening the control measures around youth betting.
Part of the regulator’s increased efforts is a campaign co-launched with the Dutch national support service Loket Kansspel and funded by the Addiction Prevention Fund (Vpf), which will provide additional educational material for people aged between 18 and 24 on safer betting practices and how to mitigate risk.
Titled ‘Don’t Play Games With Your Money’, the initiative uses a number of communication channels to invite young people to take a test and receive a ‘realistic’ analysis of their gambling behaviour, which then redirects them to Loket Kansspel in the cases of increased risks from gambling harm.
Not only that, but anyone who contacts Loket Gambling for help this summer will be offered a free subscription for gambling self-exclusion service Gamban, which software allows players to lock themselves out of any online gambling website in the world. The pilot offer includes a two-year subscription, and is also spearheaded by Vpf.
Additionally, the KSA has also undertaken the task to go directly to sports betting providers to discuss together what will be accepted as appropriate advertising during this summer. All licensed providers have been officially warned by the watchdog not to go off the beaten regulatory path and remain in compliance with all gambling laws – all while the KSA continues to chase illegal offerings out of the Dutch market.