2021: GETTING READY FOR REGULATION?
QUICK FACTS
LEGAL SITUATION
GAMBLING IN THE NETHERLANDS: SOME MORE NUMBERS
Dutch people playing online games of chance
Again, the Market Size Netherlands in Millions (EUR)
Number of Parties that have shown an interest in obtaining a license
- Gambling Games played on mobile devices as part of total 62%
- Likely tax rate applied for both online and offline gambling. 29%
- Online revenue on gambling as part of total market (2015) 13%
%
Poker revenue as part of total online
%
Casino revenue as part of total online
%
Sportsbetting revenue as part of total online
Weekly hours online (Age 18-24)
%
Tablet use (Age 18-24)
Weekly hours online (Age 25-34)
%
Tablet use (Age 25-34)
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SO WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN FOR YOU?
The short answer is yes. The last stage of the complex and slow political process has begun. The Dutch Senate needs to agree to the new law (they can’t make any changes to it anymore at this stage). After that final vote, the Law will be published and its effective date will be set. The big question on everyone’s mind however, is when the Dutch Gaming Commission will start handing out the actual licenses.
>> Ok, so when can I start?
That obviously depends on when you’ll obtain your license. Most operators seem to aim for a soft launch in Q4. That seems an eternity still, but if you are serious about you planning, that last quarter of 2017 should be getting a lot of focus. In the mean time, a lot can and should be done already in order to come well prepared to that initial battle for the Dutch online players.
>> Who will try and obtain a license?
Everyone you would expect, plus a few more. Large operators such as PokerStars, Unibet, Betsson, Betfair and William Hill will be among the first to try and obtain a license. There have been 250 individual parties that have indicated to consider applying for a license. It is safe to say however that eventually, a group of approx. 50 contestants at most will be seriously trying to get a piece of the pie.
Good question. Global powerhouses such as PokerStars and all the large online bookmakers are known to us all. But what about the local players? Holland Casino has been eager to start offering online gaming for some time now. Then there is the State Lottery, who merged with the Lotto in 2016 to form the Nederlandse Loterij.
As you can see from our nice little infographs above, both Holland Casino and Staatsloterij have serious marketing budgets to spend each year. We know for a fact that these budgets far exceed those of online operators, even the bigger ones. What these incumbent players lack in online experience, they make up for with hard-hitting budgets, well established relationships with all the major commercial media as well as some very interesting cross-sell opportunities. In France, and in some ways even Italy, the local players came to the playing field well prepared and quickly scooped up large proportions of market share. With the extremely long time the Dutch land based operators have had to prepare, it is likely that they will have nothing less than the same ambition: quickly become market leader in their respective fields of business.
For starters reading this article is a good step in the right direction. Here’s a couple of tips and strategies that we feel are valuable for all operators, big or small.
1. Plan ahead
Look for local affiliates, there are hundreds of them eager to get back in the game. Spots take time to plan: Q4 is a busy time in TV land. Get to know the difference between the networks. Did you know that the Dutch broadcast spots on the public channels?
2. Localise
Make sure your translations are of high quality. Know when the local holidays are. Dutch people get paid around the 21st each month. So you know when to send out that bonus mail.
3. Know the differences
Talk about a round of low 30’s and they will want to bet on it however. Hint: ice skating is really not that boring. Neither is field hockey. Oh and don’t forget: we love football. But you knew that.