from 1 October 2021, online gambling is legal in the Netherlands. What took you so long? After all, illegal money has been involved for years. At the same time, the question arises whether legalisation will make it much too easy to pass your monthly salary from your lazy chair. How wise is it to allow online gambling?
since 1 april this year, potential licensees have been able to apply for an on-line gambling licence. Before the online gambling Festival kicks off this autumn, the Gaming Authority is testing licence applications for reliability, integrity, responsible gaming and advertising. Kees Cools, former professor of Business Economics at Tilburg University, was already heard in the House of Representatives in 2015 as an expert in the field of the online gambling market. The fact that it took so long for politics to take root, according to him, is due to lack of interest.
“you can’t score with it. The left always thought it was important because of the addictive aspect. Somewhat hypocritical: Holland Casino is 100 percent of the state and also promotes gambling addiction”, says Cools.
” as with drugs, you do not want to allow this to continue illegally.”
Kees Cools, a former professor of economics at the Tilburg University is Easier to control for potential sale
in Illegal or not, in 2019, according to a report published by the gaming authority of malta, to online gamblers from all around 424 million euros earned. And it’s only getting more: in 2024 it would almost double. Legalisation is estimated to generate more than 100 million euros for the Treasury on an annual basis, an amount that will also increase annually. however, the legalisation of the government is not just about money. According to research, the Netherlands has about 80,000 gambling addicts who remain invisible on the currently illegal gambling sites. The new law will link bank details and BSN to a player account. This makes monitoring easier. But isn’t gambling from the comfort of your own chair more likely to lead to addiction?
” the fact that people can bet on multiple games or sites at the same time is risky.”
Philip van der Wardt, Trimbos Institute
Philip van der Wardt is Project Assistant at the Trimbos Institute. He is responsible for Gokkeninfo.nl. Dat is a website of Verslavingskunde Nederland and the Trimbos institute that informs gamblers, relatives and professionals about gambling. He thinks gambling addiction can increase.
” online gambling is possible wherever the internet is. Often more risky games of Chance are offered online: live betting on sports, casino games such as roulette or variants of a slot machine”, says Van der Wardt. “We also see the fact that people can bet quickly in succession or on multiple games or sites at the same time as risky.”
drug and alcohol consumption has no limit at home
in addition, he thinks that protective factors are less present. “Casino staff can intervene if addiction is detected. In a home situation, it is easier to gamble in a risky way, for example by drinking a lot of alcohol or using drugs while gambling.”
” a gambling website has no closing time, which can make it harder to quit. And you’re more anonymous”, van der Wardt adds. “Several studies show that online gamblers appear to have gambling problems more often than gamblers in an arcade or casino.”
according to Van der Wardt it is impossible to predict the effect of legalization on the number of problem gamblers. “It is clear, however, that there will be more advertising because all kinds of new parties are entering the market. There are therefore concerns that more people will start gambling, which will also cause more people to have gambling problems.“
” the effectiveness of measures to combat gambling problems is still unknown.”
Philip van der Wardt, Trimbos institute ‘online gambling already exists’
What can be done to prevent the worsening of addiction? For example, the Gaming Authority is taking additional measures against addiction because of the introduction of the new law.
Van der Wardt: “prevention measures such as the mandatory setting of limits before gambling or a national exclusion register where players with an addiction are registered can help. However, how effective these measures will be to combat gambling problems is still unknown.”
Cools sees the sunnier. “As with drugs, you do not want to allow this to continue illegally. Legalization separates the wheat from the chaff. Whether online gambling is good or bad, it already exists. I think regulation has a positive effect on the number of gambling addictions.”
