The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has published updated guidelines for operators on players’ ability to close their betting accounts immediately and frictionlessly.
The move comes after the regulator found “not all licensed gambling companies properly follow the rules regarding account termination”, which it considers “unacceptable”.
The refreshed guidelines state that operators must allow players to terminate their accounts at any given moment, with all account closures being final rather than including “temporary deactivation of an account or a temporary suspension of participation”.
Per the new KSA’s guidance, self-exclusion should not be treated as an alternative to account closure, with players not required make use of a playing break or registration with the self-exclusion register Cruks prior to closing an account.
Players must be able to close their account directly themselves, with the KSA stipulating “the licence holder must not create unnecessary barriers that delay or discourage the closing of an account, for example by requiring the player to contact customer service to close their account”.
The guidelines specify there should be no delays when paying out funds upon account closure, operators are prohibited from charging closure fees, termination requests should be processed promptly, and company’s can only retain customer data for up to three years after account closure.
A KSA statement read: “The KSA emphasises that it considers the previously observed practices to be absolutely undesirable and that, with the new guidance, there should no longer be any ambiguity regarding how the process for closing accounts should be structured.
“The ability to terminate a registration is part of a responsible, reliable and verifiable organisation of online gambling. A player may decide to terminate the contractual relationship with a licence holder for various reasons.
“Licence holders must therefore structure their processes so players can easily close their account, without unnecessary obstacles or delays.”
The updated guidelines come shortly after the KSA renewed the online gambling licences of eight different operators.
Among the beneficiaries were Toto and Winnit parent company Toto Online BV, Holland Casino, Kansino operator Play North Limited and FairPlay Casino parent FPO Nederland.
Bet365 subsidiary Hillside, GG Poker operator NSUS Malta Limited, Bingoal Nederland and BetCity parent Betent BV also had their licences extended.
Each company was granted a licence in 2021, with the current terms set to expire this month.
The new licences are valid from October 2026 through to September 2031.
Earlier this month, the KSA also awarded state-owned lottery operator Lotto BV with three monopoly licences for lottery, instant win games and land-based sports betting.
The regulator granted the licences despite a pending appeal with the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State over the lawfulness of Lotto BV operating a monopoly system for such products.
The post Dutch regulator issues warning to operators over “unacceptable” account closure hurdles first appeared on EGR Intel.
KSA publishes updated guidance on player account termination, as authority slams licensed operators for not following existing guidelines
The post Dutch regulator issues warning to operators over “unacceptable” account closure hurdles first appeared on EGR Intel.