The Dutch regulator struggles in the fight against the black market. Denmark prohibits reactivation bonuses. Meanwhile, Swedish companies are discussing B2B reforms. Ireland is considering a new bill. And Holland Casino violated advertising laws in the Netherlands.

New report exposes KSA's weakness in fighting illegal operators

According to a recent government report, the Dutch regulator de Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has found itself too limited in its ability to crack down on illegal business. The authorities approached consulting firm Kwink Groep for a report on the regulator’s activities.

The published document covers the regulator’s actions from 2017 to 2021. It found that although the KSA focused its main efforts on battling unlicensed online gambling applications, this was not enough to rid the country of the “black” market completely.

Most parties involved in the development of the Dutch gambling industry believe that the regulator should have more powers to control the iGaming business. Otherwise, Curacao and Malta operators will continue to provide their services to local gamblers without a license.

Danish lapsed players will no longer receive bonuses

In Denmark, gamblers who have stopped playing will no longer be offered reactivation bonuses. The country's regulator has stated this in its new guidance on responsible gambling.

According to this document, operators who offered bonuses to lapsed players in order for them to return to money wagering should stop using this practice. The regulator argues that this approach is irresponsible as players stop playing for serious reasons.

On the one hand, gamblers stop wagering their money when they try to fight gambling addiction. On the other hand, if a player requests a reactivation bonus, it means that they can no longer afford to gamble without such an additional offer.

Swedish companies welcome B2B permits

The Swedish government announced the preparation of a bill that will affect the B2B online gambling sector in the country. One of the clauses of this bill implies that suppliers who work in this industry will have to obtain permission to cooperate with licensed iGaming operators.

The local regulatory body Spelinspektionen believes that this decision will hit the illegal gambling market in the country. Since vendors cooperating with offshore companies targeting Swedish players may lose their licenses, the authorities believe such a law could strengthen the legal gambling industry.

At the same time, Gustaf Hoffstedt, who holds the post of secretary general of the Swedish trade association Branscheforenigen för Onlinespel (BOS), expressed doubts about the bill's impact. He assumes that it will not free the country's licensed system from larger outflows.

New gambling bill in Ireland

The Irish authorities introduced a bill that aims to regulate gambling advertising recently. After its initial review, the government considered a potential ban on all formats of gambling advertising. It conditioned this approach by the fact that many Irish residents have access to offshore iGaming platforms.

However, when the authorities revised the bill, they decided not to ban all types of advertising. Instead, the government proposes to display gambling ads in such a way that Irish people can consent to view these ads and view them on demand.

It is worth mentioning that the Irish gambling market does not have a main supervisory body. But the recent bill will allow the creation of the Gambling Regulatory Authority that will oversee the entire industry.

Holland Casino violated gambling law in the Netherlands

Holland Casino, which is the monopoly land-based operator in the country, received an order from the local regulator KSA. The authority found that the operator advertised its physical establishments through links posted on its gambling site. These actions are illegal as they violate Article 4.2, paragraph 5, of the Dutch Remote Games of Chance Decree.

Although the KSA discovered these forbidden ads at the end of 2021 for the first time, it was unable to publish its decision regarding the issue due to various pending processes and appeals from the infringer. When Holland Casino received an order to remove advertising links, the operator took the necessary measures. Therefore, it will be able to continue its activities in the market completely legally.

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