History of Gambling in the Netherlands
The earliest traces of gambling and betting activities in the Netherlands date back to the Renaissance, while the first licenses are issued in the 14th century. Ever since, the Dutch government has been supervising the activities. Interestingly, the first official Betting and Gambling Act was established in 1964.
Approximately 50 years later, in 2012, the Dutch Gaming Authority (Kansspelautoritet) was established as an independent regulator and supervisor of all games of chance in the market. This institution operates under the Ministry of Justice and Security. Its main objectives are to – protect players, prevent illegal gambling practices, and fight against gambling addiction.
All of the gambling parlors in this jurisdiction run under the Holland Casino umbrella. All the properties are equipped with the finest slot machines, Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette, and many other electronic games. No other local or foreign casino brand could obtain a license to operate in the Netherlands.
At first, gambling on offshore websites was prohibited, as Holland Casino holds a monopoly on all gambling activities. Despite the government’s constant efforts to halt these activities, it was impossible to control the situation.
In 2019, the Dutch Senate passed the Remote Gambling Act, allowing foreign providers to apply for a Dutch gambling license. Two years later, in 2021, the Act came into force after being postponed multiple times, so a large number of brands applied for the license.
Bingo in Contemporary Netherlands
As far as the law says, only Dutch associations are permitted to organize a game of bingo. Provided that they follow specific guidelines, of course. They have to inform the municipality on their plants to organize the bingo session at least 14 days in advance. There’s a fixed max amount of prizes per event.
The organizer of the games must be compliant with the Code of Conduct for Promotional Games of Chance. On the other hand, if a bingo session is held for a private group (family and friends, for example), one doesn’t have to report it.
However, rules for the lottery are significantly stricter, and permission is required. At least 40% of the proceeds from the lottery need to be spent on a cause of general interest.
Growing Popularity of Online Bingo
It’s not just in the Netherlands, but all over the world, the popularity of iGaming products exploded. Reasons are numerous, but above all, it’s the wider range of games. They come in classic or modernized formats, or sometimes even in combination with other genres as well. Punters have much more to choose from, plus with demo mode, they can explore to see which category fits their preferences.
Regarding the specific games Dutch players like to check out, those are 75-ball, 80-ball, and 90-ball bingo. They are available in classic variants, but versatile interesting experimental versions are found as well.
As far as the predictions say, at least 97.5% of the Dutch population will be considered active consumers of the internet by 2025. Users of portable gadgets are predominant. That’s why every platform which sticks to its reputation offers top-notch optimization for mobile devices.
Player Protection in the Netherlands
What goes hand in hand with great games is the high level of responsibility, and the Netherlands is among jurisdictions that prioritize this segment. To start with, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) is the regulatory body in charge of licensing and supervising activities in the local market.
Punters who need help in managing their gambling habits can turn to AGOG foundation, Gambling Therapy, or Gambling Aware. Also, the authority itself has penalized many brands so far, striving to protect consumers and prevent them from accessing illegal platforms.
Worth adding is that during lockdown 2020…
… the regulator issued multiple warnings to individuals organizing bingo purely to earn money or scam players looking for ways to socialize while in quarantine. However, the authority did stress out that such events, if organized by “well-meaning” people can be held.
Any gaming sessions in which minors participate or are organized by underage consumers, or where the entrance fee is required to take part will be sanctioned instantly.
How to Choose the Best Room?
When choosing an online bingo room, a punter should apply the same logic as when selecting an ordinary casino. There are a couple of fields to explore such as:
- License and certificates from relevant institutions
- Availability of payment methods and banking policy
- Game selection (Are other genres such as slot titles and table games featured as well?)
- Promotional activities, bonuses and loyalty schemes
- Customer support
- Security and protection protocols
- Responsiveness and cross-platform optimization
- Tools for responsible gambling
At the first glance, this may seem like a complex and lengthy procedure, but it isn’t. It’s the only way to find the most suitable parlor, and evaluate which venue suits you the best. After all, the elimination process helps differ whitelisted from blacklisted bingo rooms.
Therefore, avoid those which have:
- Poor customer support
- No license
- Frequent issues with transactions (especially withdrawals)
- Problematic management
Finally, the best way to eliminate all the doubts is to go through the Terms and Conditions, check out age and country restrictions, along with other relevant rules! Play responsibly!
History of Gambling in the Netherlands The earliest traces of gambling and betting activities in the Netherlands date back to the Renaissance, while the first licenses are issued in the 14th century. Ever since, the Dutch government has been supervising the activities. Interestingly, the first official Betting and Gambling Act was established in 1964. Approximately 50 years later, in 2012, the Dutch Gaming Authority (Kansspelautoritet) was established as an independent regulator and supervisor...
