Two Dutch gambling trade bodies have launched a new initiative to tackle unlawful online gambling through the launch of the ‘Meld Vals Spel’ (Report Cheating Hotline). Launched on November 25, the Meld Vals Spel platform allows stakeholders to report illegal gambling activities. It is available to members of the Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA), Vergunde Nederlandse Online Kansspelaanbieders (VNLOK), licensed operators, and other industry professionals.
The new tool enables users to report unsafe practices on illegal gambling platforms, including lack of player protection, excessive bonuses, and failure to prevent underage players. The collected data will be shared with the Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), as well as policymakers and social media platforms, to assure accountability for violators.
Joint responsibility for legal, safe, and responsible gambling
Helma Lodders, chair of VNLOK, and Eric Konings, acting director of NOGA, emphasised the shared responsibility of licensed online gambling providers in their joint statement: “Licensed providers of online gambling have a joint responsibility to offer players a legal, safe, and responsible offer. This often goes well, but it can also be improved. We are working hard on this every day.”
The initiative supports the KSA’s ongoing efforts to tackle unlicensed gambling, a challenge that persists in the industry. Lodders and Konings empathised that illegal operators use search terms like “play without limits” frequently to attract self-excluded and at-risk players.
Recent research by Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates found that 270,000 Dutch users visit illegal gambling sites via Google each month. Most of these platforms deliberately target individuals who have been excluded through the Dutch self-exclusion system, Cruks.
“These illegal practices pose a serious risk to player safety and must be addressed decisively,” the statement said.
The launch of the portal comes at a time of rising concerns about the efficacy of the Netherlands’ gambling regulations. While the KSA reports a 95 percent channelisation rate for licensed operators, alternative estimates indicate that the real figure is nearer to 87 percent, with a large portion of consumer spending continuing to flow toward illegal platforms.
A recent evaluation of the Remote Gambling Act, conducted three years after its implementation, highlighted various deficiencies, particularly in responsible gambling measures, spending limits, and the enforcement of regulations against unlicensed operators.
Legal operators are also facing growing challenges, including a ban on untargeted advertising and higher taxes, which have caused some companies to leave the market. Recent exits include Flutter’s Tombola and LiveScore Bet, with LiveScore Group CEO Sam Sadi stating that the higher tax rate “made the Netherlands an unviable market.”
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