Dutch regulator reveals Addiction Prevention Fund beneficiaries
KSA confirms three organisations will divide levy funding for research, education and treatment
The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has confirmed three organisations will receive funding generated under the country’s first Addiction Prevention Fund (Vpf).
Creation of the Vpf is a requirement of the Remote Gaming Act, which comes into force in April.
The Vpf forms an extension of existing gambling taxation and is aimed at providers of so-called “risky games” of chance i.e. games which are thought to be at a higher risk of causing gambling-related harm to players.
The annual levy has three spending objectives specified by law: anonymous treatment of gambling addiction, research into prevention and treatment of gambling addiction and a national counter for (problem) players and family members.
A tender process to determine the beneficiaries of the fund began in June 2020.
The first beneficiary is the Human Assistance Network for Daily Support (HANDS), which is currently setting up a national information and referral service for Dutch players ahead of the market go-live date in October.
A second beneficiary, ZonMw, is a government-led organisation that finances health-based research.
ZonMw was commissioned by the KSA in August 2020 to develop a research programme to prevent gambling addiction and is expected to open its first research programme in October.
The Dutch National Health Care Institute is the final organisation to receive funding under the Vpf and will look to implement a scheme to fulfil the Vpf’s objective of providing anonymous treatment for gambling addiction.
Earlier this month, as part of its preparations for the launch of the Dutch online gambling market, the KSA debuted its first licensing kitemark, which aims to identify licensed operators over their unlicensed counterparts.