Netherlands Online Gambling Association's Peter-Paul De Goeij steps down, Eric Konings named interim Director

The Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA) announced that Peter-Paul De Goeij will step down as Director, effective July 1. Eric Konings will be appointed as interim director, having been involved with NOGA since 2022. Konings will be supported in his role by former State Lottery Chief Executive Frans van Steenis. 

NOGA said that De Goeij's departure, due to his emigrating abroad, provides the organization with an opportunity to undergo a "strategic reorientation" amid challenging times in the Netherlands. The Association thanked De Goeij for the work undertaken under his tenure while welcoming Konings to the interim role.

Remko de Boer, chairman of the NOGA Board of Directors, said: "We are very grateful to Peter-Paul for his commitment over the past 5 years, in which he has shaped the transformation from SpeelVerantwoord to NOGA in an excellent way. As a result, NOGA has been able to represent the interests of its members well, in a tumultuous period for the industry."

"We are confident that this line will be continued under Eric as interim director. However, we do expect that the coming period will not be less turbulent. That is why we, as a board, have decided to initiate the strategic reorientation," he stated.

Peter-Paul de Goeij

Peter-Paul de Goeij commented: "The past few years have been hectic, with the opening of the Dutch online gambling market as the absolute highlight. I am stepping down now, but I am convinced that the sector will continue to make efforts to ensure that the game is safe and responsible. That is and remains the best way to achieve optimum consumer protection."

"I would like to thank the board of NOGA for the trust they have placed in me over the past five years and I am happy to hand over the baton to Eric," he added.

Erik Konings

In his interim role, Konings will work with Van Steenis to shape the reorientation of NOGA.

"The industry is facing some major challenges in the current political and social climate, and I look forward to helping NOGA members with this. In addition, NOGA is explicitly orienting itself on how the representation of the interests of the industry can be organized in a future-proof way. I am happy that Frans van Steenis is fulfilling the role of scout to shape this process with me," Konings noted.

Van Steenis said: "A lot is happening in the gaming sector at the moment. Licensed providers, policymakers, and society benefit from more clarity and better cooperation. I want to explore how bridges can be built between all those involved in the gambling file."

It should be noted that in July 2023, untargeted advertising was banned in the Netherlands. Additionally, in April of this year, the House voted to prohibit all online gambling advertising. Included alongside the online gambling ad bill was a ban on “high-risk gambling”, including online slots.

Despite the house vote, it remains unclear whether the law will be approved. It had been sent to the Netherlands minister for legal protection Franc Weerwind to review the law. However, Weerwind is expected to leave his position soon amid governmental changes.

Another potential change causing controversy in the Netherlands is a proposal to increase the gambling tax to 37.8%. The rise in tax would provide the state treasury with an extra €202 million ($219.6 million) annually in gambling tax contributions. The four parties involved were the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB.