Confusion has occurred in the Netherlands for Dutch gambling legislators as to whether previous violators should be prevented from applying for a remote gaming license. The Minister of Legal Protection has said that the previous violations would not cause any problems in the attempt to get the license since those would not necessarily mean that an operator is not reliable. After all, it is equally important that the gambling operator is licensed in other European countries that are members of the European Union.
Not All Violations are the Same
On the other hand, the Minister made clear that the operators that have already been sanctioned by the Dutch regulator KSA will not be able and eligible to get a license in the Dutch market. In a statement published by the Minister, the latter stated: “A minor and non-intentional violation committed has less value than a deliberate, large-scale and long-term violation of the gaming legislation. It can also be important to what extent the operator has taken measures to prevent repetition.” A few days earlier, the Minister went ahead to declare that the sanctions imposed on an operator could end up in an exclusion in obtaining a license. Further guidance is about to follow, but what remains uncertain is whether previously imposed sanctions will result in operators being unable to immediately apply for a license in the Dutch market.