Holland may be the next country to go about legalizing online poker, following in the footsteps of France, Italy and the US. These plans were set in motion a year ago, when Holland had created the Jansen Committee, a group of legal experts, judges and political advisors, for the purpose of analyzing and reporting on the country’s existing gambling laws.
This report which was published recently recognized poker as a skill game and stated the Committee’s approval of the legalization of internet poker in the Netherlands. However, the report also clearly stated that any other forms of gambling such as online casino games like blackjack and roulette, bingo and sports betting should be left as they were and not legalized. The report also mentioned providing a limited number of permits to offshore internet gaming companies.
According to the report, “The Commission doubts that a single new entrant in the poker market will be able to capture a significant market share based on the illegal operators, and sees a monopoly and therefore an insufficient basis for a successful channeling. For this reason, the Commission recommends a new ‘Internet system’… explicitly designed to bring illegal poker operators under a legal regime…based on a limited number of permits given to a term.”
As per the existing laws the only form of sports betting permitted in Holland is via the De Lotto company. De Lotto currently enjoys a monopoly of sportsbetting and although its position and the Dutch government’s support of it was contested by Betfair and Ladbrokes, De Lotto still retains its stronghold in Holland’s betting market.
This announcement did not satisfy the Remote Gambling Association, a London trade organization that represents legal internet gaming companies in Europe and the UK. The RGA was not at all happy with Holland’s decision to hold back on legalizing online casinos and any other form of gambling. This decision will also allow De Lotto to retain its monopoly.
“This is clearly a missed opportunity to follow the same path as other jurisdictions, such as Denmark, which do not seek to discriminate against different forms of gambling and recognize that all are capable of being properly regulated,” stated Clive Hawkswood, RGA’s Chief Executive.