NOGA calls on Dutch Ministry to reevaluate online gambling advertising ban

NOGA has called for the ministry to reevaluate the decision.  

The Dutch Online Gambling Association (NOGA) has called for the country’s Ministry of Justice and Security to reverse its decision to ban online gambling advertising, as part of the ministry's evaluation of the Online Gambling Act scheduled for the end of the year. 

The end-of-year evaluation will be led by Minister Weerwind. Alongside the advertising ban, other amendments on the table include the ban of high-risk gambling and the development of an emergency law to take measures against the Online Gambling Act before typical evaluations.

The act was passed in 2021 following multiple delays in January and July the year prior, aiming to both combat the unregulated Dutch market and empower the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). Now, a majority of the House of Representatives is in support of banning online gambling advertising in the Netherlands, which NOGA argues will push players towards illegal casinos due to them having less knowledge of which providers are operating legally. 

Currently, 90% of all Dutch players engage with legal gambling providers, though NOGA has argued that existing bans on advertising via particular media forms have already caused more players to turn to unregulated providers.  

NOGA Director Peter-Paul de Goeij called the decision one “the House of Representatives is trying to force,” with decision-making being swayed by assumptions, incorrect figures and “unrealistic fears.” 

He also stated: "A majority in the House of Representatives is taking an expensive gamble with the online players who are now consciously opting for the legal offer. If we find that politicians have made the wrong decisions too hastily, the House will be responsible for the negative consequences."   

He also complimented Minister Weerwind on keeping “a cool head so far” and that the NOGA was counting on him to “never jeopardise the protection of online players." 

This story comes following two recent impositions made by the KSA earlier this month against Casbit Group and DigitalOcean.