Gambling machines
in the Netherlands
Haarlem – 05.10.2007
Policy means
• “Channelisation” of existing demand to
approved legal supply
• Balancing act: attracting demand vs creating
demand
• Historical pattern: legalisation of existing illegal
supply
• Example: estimated 70 000 illegal slot
machines when legalised in 1986
Legal system
• Gaming machines outside general prohibition
on organising gambling
• Gaming = gambling + skill-based non-payout
(so no ‘amusement with small prices’)
• General exception for:
• No-pay skill machines (PlayStation, Xbox)
• Traditional fairs
Licencing system
•
3 ½ licencing systems:
•
•
•
•
Site licence
Operator licence
Type licence
Casino slot license:
• Combines site and operator licence
• Separate from, but tied to, casino licence
for table games (roulette, poker, etc) of
Holland Casino (state monopolist)
Site licence
• Always issued by local authorities
• Three types:
• 270 gaming arcades
• 14 500 high-threshold horeca
• 9 000 low-threshold horeca
(skill-based non-payout only)
• Horeca = hotel/restaurant/cafe
Operator licence
• 900 operators
• Both arcade and horeca operators
• Criteria oriented towards:
• Behaviour (criminal record)
• Compliance (track record)
• Workshop (to be abolished)
Type licence
• Four different classes of machine:
• TK (casinos only)
• TS (arcades only)
• TH (high-threshold horeca + arcades)
• TB (all horeca + arcades)
• License by Ministry, after advice by Verispect
and testing by testing laboratory
• Conformity control in the field by Verispect
Anti-addiction specials
• In casinos: anti-addiction policy, same as for
table games
• In arcades:
• Age limit of 18
• Anti-addiction training for personnel
• Technical requirements for arcade/horeca
• Maximum bet/minimum time
• Maximum average hourly loss/win
• Maximum peak hourly loss/win
• Maximum savings
Any questions ?
?