Holland and Belgium Vow to Combat Unlicensed Operators

Holland and Belgium ask for government help to combat rogue operators.

Unapproved gambling operators in Netherlands and Belgium will be under intense scrutiny in the coming years, according to the gaming regulators in the big two Benelux countries.

After the gambling legislation was approved by the Council of Ministers back in February, the Netherlands hope to launch the regulated online gaming market within a year and the Dutch Gaming Authority called Kansspelautoriteit aim to crack down on the unlicensed operator websites.

Kansspelautoriteit president Jan Suyver has held an annual meeting with the Dutch government officials, asking for more power in an attempt to punish all operators that do not hold a valid gaming license.

The powers in question will allow the Gaming Authority to block rogue operators in the Netherlands as well as warn Dutch citizens from playing at those websites, while those that do not comply could receive hefty fines.

The Kansspelautoriteit seem determined to regulate online gambling in the Netherlands and ensure all non-licensed operators suffer serious consequences, but Suyver is adamant the support of the government officials is crucial if they are to succeed in their quest.

Belgian Gaming Commission Asks for Government Help

Meanwhile, Belgian Gaming Commission (BGC) has asked the newly elected government to inflict similar measures on unapproved gambling operators having seen a significant increase in the number of citizens playing at the online gaming venues.

With the number of Belgian gamblers taking part in online betting during the first five months of the year nearly three times greater than the 211,000 that visited the land-based casino establishments in the country, the BGC is determined to win the war against the illegal betting operators.

The Gaming Commission has outlined several goals that should help regulate the gaming market and they are asking for government support in an attempt to improve the overall standard of the industry.

BGC plans to include additional screening on gambling websites that would prevent minors and people with debt issues from taking part, while they are also out to try and regulate social gaming in a similar way online betting has been regulated.

Last but not least, they hope to be allocated additional funds and personnel that would allow them to locate non-licensed websites and Belgian citizens who gamble at such establishments.