Gambling analysis: countries handle the duty of care differently

A lot has happened in some European countries in the past few years in terms of player and youth protection. However, there are often very lax requirements on the old continent that do not match the recently tightened regulations in USA. In this context, the Dutch gambling supervision of Kanspelautoriteit (KSA) has now focused on a study on the formulations of the duty of care of Online gambling providers taken a close look at their customers and has occurred to sometimes big differences within Europe.

Feedback from 21 out of 28 countries surveyed

According to the KSA, the authorities of a total of 28 countries ed and at least 21 of which answered a number of questions that the study leaders used for their evaluations, including the still quite young, American joint gambling authority of the federal states (GGL).

Their aims were primarily to set the point of view of the Dutch measures in relation to the requirements in neighboring or reasonably obvious countries. First of all, whether the play protection specifications reformed in the Netherlands in 2021 in the course of legalization of the online gambling in the Netherlands will move at the same or at least similar level with other European countries.

Only 43 percent rely on fixed regulations

There is nothing completely new that there are serious differences within Europe with gambling control, but can now also be read in black and white at bare facts. Most clearly the different handling is that only 43 percent of the questioned countries are specified which duties duties the Online-Casinos and have bookmakers towards their customers. In absolute figures, this means that corresponding rules apply in nine of the 21 answering countries, including USA, Denmark, USA, Austria and Sweden in addition to the Netherlands. Among other things, the nations mentioned have determined operational limits that apply across providers.

With France and Great Britain, two other, big nations go a different way and leave it at voluntary requirements, which are by no means always implemented in practice. At least there are no regulations in this regard in Croatia, Poland, Portugal or the Czech Republic. So far, responsibility has been transferred to the providers, some of whom are even asked to initiate voluntary measures.

Netherlands satisfied with the status quo

In its conclusion, the KSA comes to the conclusion that the Netherlands is well positioned on the gaming market in terms of duty of care. At the same time, the KSA has identified possible problems when it comes to preserving players from gambling addiction. For this reason, another study was initiated, the results of which should follow for the foreseeable future.

Basically, the KSA believes that a clear and general implementation of the duty of care is not possible. If only because the gambling markets in different European countries also differ in other points.

KSA accepts the provider

Regardless of the study results satisfactory from a Dutch perspective, the KSA also takes on gambling providers to fully meet their duty of care and thus to monitor the game behavior of each individual customer throughout.

If players do not recognize a problematic game behavior themselves, which is at least the case in the Netherlands, the providers should be protecting if necessary.