Dutch gambling minister considering ad ban and removing “risky” slot game elements
Teun Struycken confirms further research will be conducted into both topics after House of Representatives backed a ban on advertising and “high-risk” verticals in April
The Dutch minister responsible for gambling, Teun Struycken, has said he is considering a total blanket ban on advertising and introducing restrictions on “very risky elements” within online slots.
In a letter sent to the House of Representatives marking the third anniversary of the opening of the regulated market, Struycken passed comment on several motions filed by MPs regarding the sector in 2024.
The two standout filings this year came from Socialist Party MP Michiel van Nispen, who called for a total ban on advertising and the removal of “very high-risk gambling verticals” such as online slots.
The Dutch parliament approved Van Nispen’s motions in April, although the swearing in of the new right-wing coalition government in the Netherlands resulted in delays to the legislation being explored.
Now, Struycken has confirmed he will continue to explore the two measures, deploying additional research before sending further communications to the House of Representatives before the end of the year.
On the topic of an ad ban, Van Nispen said he “share[d] the concerns about the possible negative effects of advertising, especially for vulnerable groups”.
The minister for legal protection said a total ban would require a “fundamental change” in the existing gambling regulations in the market as he promised he would evaluate the subject.
He wrote: “The effects of the advertising rules will be mapped out in the evaluation of the law. I will also have separate research conducted into the initial effects of the ban on non-targeted advertising, which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2025.
“In the letter that I will send to your House before the end of the year, I will discuss tightening up the advertising rules, based on the results of the evaluation. In doing so, I will also consider a ban on online advertising for online gambling.”
Van Nispen’s other motion, in regard to banning high-risk verticals, was also touched upon in Struycken’s letter.
However, the minister said that instead of applying a blanket ban to the vertical, he would consider the possibility of removing specific game features which could encourage harmful play.
Struycken suggested removing turbo options to increase game speed, limiting the number of bets allowed in a given time period, and/or banning features which allow players to stake the maximum bet amount immediately.
The minister said these changes could be enacted in “lower-level regulations” and would not require a full overhaul of the Dutch legal gambling framework.
Again, Struycken stipulated he would send another letter to the House of Representatives on the topic before the year’s end, although he tempered expectations for major change in the short term.
He said: “In the short term, a study will be started into the relative risks of various gambling products and the game elements within these that influence these risks.
“Based on the results, the riskiest game elements can be identified and a proposal for a ban can then be developed based on the results.
“In connection with the necessary research, I will not be able to consider legal measures before the second half of 2025.”