NETHERLANDS -- After its own citizens practically ignored its ban on online gambling, the Dutch government is finally considering a regulated online gambling industry for the Netherlands, following the lead of other European countries like France, Italy, Austria, and Sweden who have recently embraced regulated online gambling.
Despite imposed restrictions not to gamble online that has been prevailing for several years now, Dutch players simply shrugged off the restriction and proceeded to gamble online, usually with gaming sites deemed illegal by the government. The defiance shown by its own citizen prompted the new ruling government coalition to overhaul its policy on online gambling and start issuing online gaming licenses.
According to a spokesperson for the Dutch Ministry of Public Safety and Justice Jaap Oosterveer:
"It's a big shift (in policy), but this is a new government with a more liberal approach."
In the past, the Netherlands has been steadfast in its stand not to allow online gambling in its territories up to the extent that it has defended the ban in the European Union's highest court. Last year, it successfully defended its online gaming ban in the EU Court of Justice that was challenged by gaming firms Ladbrokes and Betfair.
However, a new government and the continued defiance of its citizenry of the ban has set things in motion in favor of a regulated online gaming industry for the Dutch nation.
Fredrik Teeven, State Secretary of Security and Justice, has forwarded a letter to the Dutch government for the case of a regulated online gambling industry for the country.
According to Teeven, hundreds of thousands of Dutch defy the online gambling anyway and that the time was ripe to change the law citing similar legislative changes in other European Union member-countries. He added that the Netherlands should be more transparent with the lottery licensing system and that the monopoly of Holland Casino, the state casino operator, be broken to allow for a more competitive gaming landscape.
Should the Dutch government push through with a regulated industry, Teeven said it can expect to auction the online gambling licenses to prospective operators and in the process generate at least €10 million (about US$ 14.1 million) per year for the government treasury beginning 2012.
Source: Reuters
Posted: March 24, 2011
