Lecture Notes: Gambling Regulations in the Netherlands and Germany

Introduction

• Speakers: Dr. York Hoffman (KSA), Roni (KSA representative)
• Discussion about recent issues in gambling regulations in the Netherlands and Germany

Key Issues in Dutch Gambling Regulation

Advertising

• Strict regulations in place
• Prohibition on using role models
• Prohibition on targeting young adults and minors

Duty of Care

• Concerns over young and older people losing large sums quickly
• Investigations underway, report expected next month

Fighting Illegality

• Continuous monitoring of illegal operators
• Monitoring the top 100 visited websites by Dutch consumers
• Interventions and fines for illegal operators

Regulatory Achievements and Challenges

Dutch Market

• Generalization rate above 90%
• Successfully pushing unregulated markets out
• Political interventions and rapid regulation changes
• Full evaluation set for 2024

German Gambling Market

New Regulation: Interstate Treaty

• Most licenses granted
• Assessing the power and competitiveness of the licensed market

Issues

• Marketing and advertising concerns
• Complex governance with 16 states involved
• New regulatory body: GGL
• Early stages of development
• Trying to learn from Dutch experiences

Common Challenges

• Combatting the black market, especially virtual slot machines
• Importance of monitoring traffic for a realistic evaluation
• Building up a dialogue between the industry and regulator

Comparative Analysis: Netherlands vs. Germany

• Both markets took a long time to regulate
• The Netherlands market opened earlier (Oct 2021)
• Germany faces difficulties due to lack of a unified federal regulator
• Reluctance in both markets towards gambling and iGaming

Structural Considerations

• Importance of a single regulatory body (advantage for the Netherlands)
• Treaty vs. Law: Germany's regulatory framework is a compromise among 16 states
• Restrictions in regulations can benefit black market operators
• Need for clear guidance to ensure stability and investor confidence

Conclusion

• Dr. Hoffman and Roni emphasized ongoing efforts to refine regulations
• The necessity of continuous monitoring and enforcement
• Mutual learning opportunities between Dutch and German regulators