The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has struck a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dutch online gambling trade association Stichting Speel Verantwoord (SSV).This will see the two association work together to promote sporting integrity measures focused on the Netherlands in the lead-up to the launch of the country’s regulated igaming market on 30 June, 2021.
The pair will also collaborate on lobbying efforts, as well as promoting viable betting markets and measures to improve channelisation.
“While both associations welcome the opening of the market, the law places a number of restrictions on certain betting products on integrity grounds, which both the SSV and IBIA have questioned,” SSV managing director Peter-Paul de Goeij explained. “There is a general concern about the impact on consumer channelisation and market viability.”
De Goeij added that each association shared a number of members, meaning there was a clear benefit to working closely with IBIA as the opening of the igaming market approaches.
“The Netherlands law presents a number of opportunities and challenges for operators concerning the availability of betting and related integrity issues,” IBIA chief executive Khalid Ali added. “We will be seeking to work closely with the SSV to establish a working relationship with policymakers and other stakeholders to discuss those issues in more detail and to ensure that the market opening is successful.
“This includes supporting the licensing requirement for all sports betting operators to be a member of an integrity monitoring body, and where the Dutch law specifically mentions IBIA as a best practice model,” he added.
The partnership comes after the industry raised concerns about secondary legislation, through a consultation that ran until September 2019. A consultation on this legislation saw submissions query the need for a white list of approved sports for betting and restrictions on markets such as individual sets in tennis and rule violations in football.
