Two Dutch operator groups have teamed up to develop a new reporting system called Meld Vals Spel to detect and combat unlawful online gaming in the nation.
Meld Vals Spel (the Reporting Point for False Gambling), which was announced yesterday (November 25), is already operational and can be found at Meldvalsspel.nl . It is available to members of the Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA) and Vergunde Nederlandse Online Kansspelaanbieders (VNLOK), as well as other licensees, partner organizations, and professional stakeholders.
Users can report harmful behaviour and activities on illicit gambling websites and applications. This includes a lack of player protection, exorbitant incentives, and no restrictions on minor players.
Meld Vals Spel intends to better understand how illegitimate brands function, according to VNLOK and NOGA. According to the two organizations, this will enable for a more effective reaction to illicit activity as well as the protection of vulnerable participants.
VNLOK and NOGA think the platform will serve to highlight the dangers of illicit gaming and guarantee that unlawful operators are punished. Meld Vals Spel will report unlawful acts to the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), legislators, and social media sites.
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VNLOK and NOGA target unlawful rivals.
Helma Lodders, head of VNLOK, and Eric Konings, interim director of NOGA, commented on the new program, saying they welcome the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s attempts to eliminate unlicensed gaming.
“Licensed online gambling providers have a joint responsibility to provide players with a legal, safe, and responsible offer,” Lodders and Konings said in a statement. “This usually works well, but it may be improved. We work hard on this every day.”
They cited recent study by affiliate compliance specialist Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates. This indicates that at least 270,000 Dutch customers visit unlawful websites via Google each month. According to the findings, unlicensed operators frequently target self-excluded gamers.
“Many Dutch people still come into contact with illegal gambling sites and apps,” Lodders and Konings said. “These unlawful parties aggressively respond to the more stringent Dutch restrictions by advertising on search phrases like ‘playing without limitations’ or ‘playing without Cruks’.
“In doing so, they target susceptible players. These sorts of unlawful tactics risk players’ safety and must be addressed decisively.”
Ongoing requests for stricter black market surveillance operations.
The new initiative follows VNLOK and NOGA’s appeal for greater monitoring of the black market last month. This followed the release of new KSA data indicating that channelisation rates are lower than expected.
According to KSA statistics, the current level of Dutch online gambling channelisation is 95%. However, figures on Dutch player expenditure and income indicate that the rate is closer to 87%, since customers spend more on illicit sites.
Earlier this month, a government-led study of current Dutch rules determined that measures to encourage responsible gambling and protect players from damage are insufficient and ineffective.
The assessment, which was announced in September, focused on the Remote Gambling Act and the first three years after it was passed. It found that the Act had not yet created a sustainable and safe market in accordance with the original policy objectives.
Concerns about responsible gambling are particularly noteworthy, with present safeguards falling short and in need of reform. Concerns were also expressed about the efficacy of expenditure constraints, promotion, and general policing of the illicit market.
The illegal market rises as the number of regulated licensees decreases.
This comes as attempts are made to tighten regulations on legitimate operators, who are forcing brands out of the market. Following a prohibition on ‘untargeted’ advertising, deposit limitations, and even discussion of a slot ban, a higher tax rate proved to be the last straw for some licensees.
Following Flutter’s Tombola’s withdrawal from the Dutch market in September, LiveScore Bet indicated earlier this month that it will follow suit on November 29. According to LiveScore Group CEO Sam Sadi, the high tax rate simply made the Netherlands no longer feasible as a market. This implies that two of the initial 10 businesses to be licensed in the market have now withdrawn.
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