A lot is going on in the world of games of chance in the Netherlands at the moment. After State Secretary Teeven of Security and Justice had announced his plan for a more liberal games of chance policy on 19 March, the Administrative Law Judicial Division of the Council of State (the highest administrative court) rendered a long-expected ruling in the Betfair case on 21 March. In this ruling the Council of State rapped former Justice Minister Donner on the knuckles for the way in which he had granted licenses for the organizing of sports and horse racing bets.
Under the Act on Games of Chance (Wet op de Kansspelen, “WoK”), the Netherlands have a restrictive games of chance policy, in principle only allowing the organization of games of chance with a government license. Organizing games of chance through the internet is prohibited altogether at present, and licenses for sports and horseracing bets can only [Read more…] about Foreign Games of Chance Provider Wins At Last
State Secretary Fred Teeven of Security and Justice has announced that there are plans to liberalize the Dutch market for games of chance. Teeven wants to modernize the games of chance policy and to fight gambling addiction, fraud and crime more effectively by widening and expanding the legal offer of games of chance.
The Neighbouring Rights Act (NRA) inter alia grants rights to performing artists and phonogram producers (for instance record companies) with regard to the exploitation – in brief: publication and reproduction – of their performances and phonograms, respectively (read: the first recording of sounds/music). With regard to a publication of a phonogram that has been released for commercial purposes, or a reproduction thereof, for instance playing a Madonna CD 