The Dutch gaming authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has announced that it will use investigative findings to enhance the duty of care at gaming halls across the Netherlands.
In December 2023 and January 2024, KSA inspectors visited 20 gaming facilities nationwide to examine the implementation of duty of care.
Upon sharing its findings, the KSA noted that while most gaming halls paid attention to duty of care, there were areas where its implementation could be improved.
The KSA stated that gaming halls have taken steps to meet the duty of care requirements in the KOA Act, including the prevention and limitation of gambling addiction. However, the authority highlighted that “practice is not always sufficiently in line with the expressed good intentions and what is included in the policy.”
The authority observed that while the personal circumstances and playing behavior of regular players were generally known, there was often a lack of actual engagement with players, registration of signals and interventions, and effective intervention in the examined arcades.
Long playing times were universally regarded as a “worrying signal” by gaming halls, but monitoring methods were often underdeveloped. Notably, none of the venues investigated implemented a maximum playing time, which the KSA emphasized is “particularly important at arcades that are open 24 hours, because there is no natural ‘stopping moment’ for players.”
The KSA found that playing on multiple machines and reserving slot machines was permitted at all visited gaming halls. Although not prohibited, these practices can contribute to excessive gaming behavior.
Additionally, other excessive gaming behaviors, such as frequent and prolonged visits and a high number of debit card transactions per visit, were not sufficiently monitored by several venues.
Following the inspections, the KSA sent letters to the gaming halls, outlining specific improvement points for each location.
The authority concluded:
Guidance will follow later this year for all permit holders, elaborating on the identified points and providing more specific attention to the duty of care in arcades. The KSA will then monitor compliance with this more strictly.
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