The Dutch government has confirmed the planned implementation of its own new rules on player deposit limits and affordability checks, as well as those from the regulator.
Online operators have until October 1 to implement the checks into their day-to-day operations.
Players aged 25 and over must contact operators if they wish to set a deposit limit of more than €350 per month, with the trigger point at €150 per month for players aged 24 and under.
Operators’ “prevention-trained staff” must then inform players of the risks of a high deposit limit and notify the player of the gambling helpline, Loket Kansspel, as well as the Cruks national self-exclusion register, the Ministry for Legal Protection said.
The government also confirmed that the gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit’s policy rule regarding deposits of €700 per month and €300, published at the start of June, will also come into effect on October 1.
The government’s Regulation on Gaming Limits and More Conscious Gaming Behavior is designed to “break the anonymity of playing,” the government said, allowing players to “reflect more on playing behaviour” and encourage the setting of lower deposit limits.
Players who had already set a deposit limit above the respective thresholds before October 1 will be given the same message as operators’ responsible gaming officers will give after the regulation’s entry into law.
The Netherlands’ minister for Legal Protection, Franc Weerwind, said: “Gaming must be done responsibly. Players must be aware of their limits and the risks involved. These new measures ensure that players are better protected.
“Gambling providers must intervene up front. As a result, players become aware of their playing behaviour at an early stage.”
The government’s new policy also mandates operators to ask players whether are willing to lose the deposit limits they set and inform players that a lower bet amount is another option.
“Pop-ups should alert players to their playing behaviour and reaching their limits,” the government said. “This notification must provide feedback every 30 minutes of the gaming session about the playing behaviour and the time the player spends on gambling.
“The player should also receive messages when more than 50 per cent of the deposit or time limit has been reached. If the time limit is reached, a player must be logged out immediately.
“In addition, all amounts must be displayed in euros so that players are always aware of the amounts they are playing with, with international poker games being the only exception.”
The aim, the government said, is for players to be able to determine their limits in a “neutral environment, without being influenced by pre-filled options or any form of advertising or recruitment.”
