Dutch advertising ban questioned

There is unlikely to be a ban on advertising gambling in the Netherlands before the second quarter of this year, following criticism of the proposals by politicians.

Trade association Gaming in Holland reports that the planned restrictions on betting and gaming advertising has been under fire from the Council of State, the main advisor on national policy to the Dutch government.

The organisation said that the council was questioning the reasoning behind the proposed ban. The plan was for “blanket advertising” to be phased out from this month, meaning that operators could not advertise on TV, radio or anywhere in public and there were to be restrictions for online advertising. Also sports sponsorships were to be banned by the end of 2025.

The council had said that while the ban was not illegal, it found the explanations for the proposals “confusing,” while some members feel that it is too soon to be looking at the ban after the introduction of legalised online betting.