Ksa holds roundtable discussion with online gambling providers

(PRESS RELEASE) -- On Thursday, 4 December, the Netherlands Gambling Authority (Ksa) held a roundtable discussion with online gambling providers. The discussion was prompted by three recent studies conducted by the Ksa within the framework of its duty of care. The focus was on improving player protection and fulfilling its duty of care. The Ksa shared the findings of the studies and discussed three key topics with the providers.

Notifications in Cruks
If the provider suspects excessive participation or gambling addiction in a player and the measures offered prove insufficient, the provider is obligated to advise the player to register with Cruks. If the player fails to do so, the provider must report this to the Royal Netherlands Gambling Authority (Ksa) by submitting a notification. Based on this notification, the Ksa may decide to involuntarily register the player in the Cruks exclusion register. The Ksa's research revealed that providers experience barriers to submitting notifications. It also revealed significant differences between providers in the number of notifications, and that the information in the notification files is not always complete. Providers Optdeck Service Limited (Unibet) and Holland Casino often provide good and complete files and therefore gave a presentation on how they have structured their notification process.

Personal interview
Another point of discussion was the mandatory personal interview that providers are required to conduct with players exhibiting excessive gambling behavior. The study revealed the bottlenecks providers are experiencing and areas for improvement in implementation.

The Ksa discussed with the providers how the implementation of personal maintenance can be improved, so that timely and appropriate intervention can be made in the event of a player's problematic behavior.

Closing player accounts
The final discussion focused on the practical aspects of closing player accounts. The Ksa heard from providers about how they handle situations when players want to close their accounts and the obstacles they encounter.

A constructive conversation
According to the Ksa, it was a productive and valuable meeting. "It was good to engage in discussions with the providers. This is educational for the sector and also provides useful input for our oversight," said Ella Seijsener, head of the Online Duty of Care department at the Ksa.

The Ksa will incorporate the input gathered during the meeting into its next steps and investigations into the implementation of its duty of care. These topics will also receive additional attention in the coming year when supervising the online gambling market. The Ksa remains committed to improving the gambling market and protecting vulnerable players.