Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands gambling regulator, has launched a consultation to launch on how operator data should be collected and understood to help combat gambling addiction.
Under the terms of the KOA regime, which kickstarted the Netherlands-regulated online gambling market on October 1, all licensed operators are ‘obliged to systematically register and analyse data relating to the player’s gaming behaviour’.
The regulator reiterated that the submission of quarterly reports by licensed operators is mandatory under the provisions of the KOA regime.
Data from the reports submitted to KSA will be used to improve the regulator’s governance of the KOA regime as well as optimising the management of the CRUKS self-exclusion system.
Coinciding with the launch of the KOA regime, KSA has established an ‘Addiction Prevention Fund (VPF)’ that will be underwritten by taxes generated from the online gambling sector.
VPF obligations will be imposed on licensed online gambling operators to help KSA achieve its three objectives of providing anonymous treatment, improving research of gambling addiction and establishing a centralised ‘National Counter’ for all problem gamblers and families to register and seek advice.
Supporting VPF directives, KSA has appointed Zorginstituut, the Netherlands National Health Care Institute, to develop a set of guidelines for the treatment and support of gambling addiction.
Meanwhile, Dutch social welfare institute ZonMW will serve as the lead addiction and harms research agency providing independent oversight on how operator and market data should be interpreted to safeguard Dutch society and health networks against gambling harms.