Online gambling is a very popular form of entertainment in many countries around the world. However, different countries have been known to take a different approach when it comes to online gambling and gambling in general. Suffice it to say that online gambling is still illegal or unregulated in several countries around the world.
Online gambling has become legal recently in the Netherlands– on October 1st 2021 much to the delight of fans of this form of entertainment and industry professionals. However, there are serious limitations that the Government has enacted into law.
One of them pertains to gambling advertising in the Netherlands. Below you’ll get to read about some of the restrictions on gambling advertisement Netherlands and the rules and regulations that are in force at the time of writing.
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Online Gambling Advertising – Strict Limitations
There’s been a big debate in the Netherlands about how the iGaming sector should be regulated. It’s evident that some iGaming operators in the Netherlands have spent huge sums of money for advertisement purposes – for example, state-owned brand TOTO has spent $10.254.890 and Holland Casino has spent $8.540.314 on advertisements.
Major concerns have been raised about the initial approach. Defended with the argument that advertising was necessary for players to move away from illegal brand and start playing at brand with a Dutch license, it was soon deemed as too libereral, especially in terms of the amount of iGaming advertising. So, as a direct result of this debate and the public opinion, the lawmakers in the Netherlands have taken a more conservative approach towards online gambling in general.
There are now more limitations when it comes to promoting gambling in the Netherlands. Minister Franc Weerwind aims to reform current legislation which will prohibit untargeted gambling advertisement.
For example, some of the restrictions pertain to advertisement practices on radio advertising, outdoor advertising and print advertising. Under current law, all of the aforementioned advertising methods and practices are strictly forbidden when it comes to promoting casino bonuses.
Role Models promoting gambling
There has been a big debate over the inclusion of role models in iGaming advertising in the Netherlands. As things stand, the use of role models for the purpose of promoting iGaming has been banned and deemed illegal as of July 1st 2022.
Also, since April 1st 2022, a new official slogan was introduced when it comes to gambling advertisements, that all operators have to use – and it goes “Wat kost gokken jou? Stop op tijd, 18+”. Roughly, it translates to “How much do you pay for gambling? Stop in time, 18+”
Online Casino commercials
A TV ad for risky games of chance may last up to 30 seconds with the new regulations and there can only be up to 3 gambling-related advertisements during a commercial break. The use of so-called twin spots in advertisement is also prohibited.
There are parts of living areas where gambling-related advertisements are strictly prohibited, such as near schools. hospitals, addiction institutions and amusement parks. Advertisements are also not permitted on programs or channels that have more than 25% reach among young adults and minors.
Unfortunately, there are iGaming operators that don’t have high ethical standards with it comes to promoting gambling. They aim to lure players in and make them deposit as much money as possible, while playing the part that they promote responsible gambling, on the other hand.
This is why under the current laws in the Netherlands, unlimited deposits aren’t legal. Again, some operators offer de facto unlimited deposit “limits”, so the regulators and authorities in the Netherlands have doubled down in eradicating any iGaming operator that doesn’t hold a valid license to operate in the Netherlands. This has to be noted in any advertisement materials from the iGaming operator.
There are several important aspects of iGaming advertising Netherlands that can have a big influence on marketing power. One of them is called “watershed” and it pertains to TV programs, radio and online video presentations. The watershed is the time during the day after which adult-oriented programs are permitted to run.
Of course, adult-oriented programs, in the sense of this article, pertain to iGaming advertisements that run on TV. Previously, the watershed for TV advertising was set from 21:00 PM to 06:00 AM. Since April 1st 2022, it was moved to 22:00 PM to 6:00 AM, giving the public another full hour of respite from online gambling advertisements on TV.
The online casino operators in the Netherlands have to be especially careful when advertising online casino bonuses. In fact, when it comes to even mentioning the existence of bonuses – the sole category of people or organizations that can do this are affiliates.
There are also clear-cut rules about what affiliates can do – and can’t do, in this regard. For example, the use of a Call to Action (e.g. “claim now”) is forbidden. The affiliates also have to share information about the age limits, the fact that gambling can pose a risk, the T&Cs of the casino in question – and the fact that this is all an advertisement.
Players that have played in online casinos are undoubtedly aware of the casino bonuses and how they are usually touted as “free money”. The gambling ad ban Netherlands legislation states that iGaming operators have to be a lot more restricted in their casino bonus advertisements and they need to be a lot more open about the more “hidden” terms and conditions, such as the wagering requirements and the allotted time for the use of bonuses.
This purports to make individual iGaming enjoyers more aware about what they’re getting into – especially when it comes to online casino bonuses that have been shown to have the power to sway and influence the opinions of players when picking online casinos to gamble in.
Moreover, there’s a ban currently in force in the Netherlands that prohibits operators to target young adults (18-24 years of age) with promotions and advertisements regarding risky games of chance.
Further iGaming Advertising Restrictions are Likely Due
In the previous section, you’ve read about the gist of the online gambling advertising rules and regulations in the Netherlands. As mentioned before, the government and lawmakers in the Netherlands have taken a conservative approach in online gambling advertising. However, it’s important to note that it’s likely that the government and lawmakers will double down on iGaming marketing restrictions in the near future.
There are work groups created that create new laws and regulations that will forbid the use of any role models whatsoever for the purpose of advertising online casinos in the Netherlands. Also, recently, concerns have been raised for the convenience of running online gambling ads on the internet, after restrictions have been used for advertisements in other forms of media – and restrictions for online advertising have indeed been already introduced in the Netherlands.
Given the current iGaming climate in the Netherlands, it’s likely that there will be other additional restrictions for this form of advertising.
iGaming in the Netherlands
Regardless of the somewhat conservative approach towards online gambling advertising in the Netherlands, it’s important to once again note that legal iGaming is a relatively new field in this country. So, taking a more careful, restriction-oriented approach towards online gambling marketing is only logical.
This will likely help people and protect them from making uninformed decisions about engaging in online gambling, and perhaps falling victims to online gambling addiction, as a worst-case scenario.
It’s also important to note that there are different opinions on iGaming in different societies – even in the European Union. There are more liberal examples such as Malta – known as the iGaming capital of the world. Norway, Denmark and Sweden have also been known to be quite liberal when it comes to iGaming.
There are also counter examples – for example, many forms of online gambling are outright banned in Germany (though the rules and regulations are a bit more complex than that). Online gambling is completely banned in Poland and there are strict rules regarding iGaming in Belgium.
Regardless, we expect that the iGaming sector in the Netherlands will keep growing and that many new online casinos will be introduced, servicing the needs of an ever-increasing number of online gambling fans in the Netherlands.
