Netherlands regulator sets online gambling exclusion rules

The Netherlands Gaming Authority, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has established the policy rules for people to be involuntarily excluded from participating in any kind of gambling.

As a result of the Remote Gambling Act, which went into force on April 1 this year to regulate online gambling for the first time in the country, there will be a player exclusion register called Cruks (Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen), where players can be included both voluntarily or involuntarily, in order to prevent and tackle gambling addiction. It will be operational as of October 1.

Per the new policy rules, someone close to the player such us family members or employer, but also gaming operators or providers, must submit a request to the Gaming Authority for registration. A condition for being included in the exclusion register is that the measure prevents further damage — financial, social, personal. It should also be clear that less drastic measures will not help.

If an operator’s less severe measures do not prove effective in preventing problem gambling for a player, and if such a player disregards the operator’s advice to register voluntarily with Cruks, at this point the operator should lodge an application with the regulator to register the player involuntarily.

From October 1, all gambling operators must connect to Cruks and check whether there is a registration there before a player starts playing. If that is the case, the player should be denied access to the game.

Applications may be submitted electronically or by post, and must detail an explanation of the third party’s relationship with the player, and the motives for requesting exclusion. Cruks is accessed through DigiD system, a form of online ID that allows Dutch residents to access online services and government websites in the Netherlands.

When a player registers with an online operator for the first time, or if the player wants to access a land-based casino, they enter their public service number, which leads to the generation of a Cruks code. This code is then compared to the list of codes for self-excluded players and if it matches, the player must not be allowed to register or enter.