Over 180 companies seek to apply for an online gaming license in Netherlands

Netherlands gambling regulatory body Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has issued an intermediate update, detailing that 183 interested parties have approached its organization detailing interest in submitting an application for online gambling licenses.

Of those, 89 are foreign companies, with 83 of the interested parties holding an online gambling licence abroad. Application costs are to be set at €45,000 (nearly USD 51,000) with a compulsory financial guarantee of €830,000 (USD 943,000). The KSA remarks that despite the number of interest notifications received it does not guarantee that each will be granted a permit.

The applicants will be tested for reliability and integrity as well as certain conditions in the field of business operations, including if there’s an addiction prevention policy, if player credit is separated from other funds, how player identification works and how quality assurance is arranged.

KSA opened its operator registration process on June 5, as the regulator published its new long-term strategy towards establishing its long-awaited Remote Gambling Act. Led by new Chairman Rene Jansen, the KSA maintains its target that a new gambling act will be officially sanctioned by summer 2020, leading to the new Dutch gambling market being opened by 1 January 2021. The Dutch regulator granted betting incumbents until 21 June to indicate their potential interest in applying for licenses, by filling a KOA license form.

The Ministry of Justice and Security is currently developing new legislation into “lower regulations.” Once reviewed, the KSA will draw up its definitive permit conditions, allowing operators to officially apply for operators.

In KSA’s June update, Jansen disclosed that the governing body was doing “everything in its power to get the job done”, warning the government that the licensing process may require additional human resources to meet demands.