Final yr in October, the Netherlands legalized its on-line playing market. The nation successfully carried out rules for the exercise that ensured participant safety, correct licensing and issued licenses to 24 playing operators thus far. Whereas the market has now been working for greater than a yr, and a gambling-focused regulator continues to watch the actions, former gamblers that misplaced cash earlier than the legalization are actually searching for to have a refund from playing operators, a brand new report reveals.
One Hundred Dutch Gamblers Need Misplaced Cash Again
On-line playing firms supplied their providers to Dutch clients earlier than the licensing. This enabled clients to spend as a lot as they need on playing which made them the proper prey for some operators. Earlier this yr, the Netherlands acknowledged that the playing firms that supplied their providers earlier than the legalization of the market operated illegally.
Now, a brand new report launched by Volkskrant reveals that almost 100 ex-gamblers are demanding to obtain cash that they misplaced to on-line playing. The victims contacted lawyer Benzi Loonstein for assist after being impacted by the losses which for some have been in a whole lot of hundreds of euros. In line with the lawyer, the general public that contacted him have been “younger and susceptible.”
Bonuses and Items Fueled Playing Habit
After taking part in on-line playing, earlier than the exercise was legalized, a few of the affected misplaced their properties or jobs, whereas others destroyed their relationships and piled up debt. Whereas the gamblers determined to take part voluntarily, Loonstein defined that a lot of them have been pushed additional into playing by receiving items, bonuses or different gives from the playing operators. These strategies helped push even individuals who sometimes loved gaming into dropping hundreds.
It’s unclear whether or not any of the operators that supplied their providers to Dutch clients earlier than the legalization of the net playing market had strategies to regulate losses or forestall playing hurt. At the moment, underneath the present rules within the Netherlands, licensed operators should adhere to accountable playing practices and forestall playing hurt by figuring out indicators of downside playing.
Probably, this wasn’t the case earlier than the legalization of the market, Loonstein reveals. The current report instructed the story of 1 person who misplaced all his financial savings to playing. They began with a single €100 ($106) wager, however in the long run, misplaced greater than €150,000 ($158,600) for under a yr and a half. This identical buyer revealed that they have been assigned a VIP supervisor that was continuously involved with them, additional fueling their spending.
This was solely one of many those that contacted Loonstein and is now demanding to obtain their a refund from playing firms. These authorized efforts don’t come as a shock, as gamblers in different international locations comparable to Austria and Germany have already received circumstances after submitting related authorized challenges involving the providing of unlawful playing providers.
