Major American technology company Apple Inc. has removed 55 real-money gambling apps from its App Store after being asked to do so by Kansspelautoriteit, known to be the Dutch gambling authority.
The gambling regulator said in a statement from earlier today that after its request, 49 such apps were removed from App Store at first. Six other were removed at a later point. Some of the apps belonged to major gambling brands like Unibet and Bwin. Here it is also important to note that they were not available on Google Play.
All 55 apps are no longer available to potential Dutch gambling customers. According to Kansspelautoriteit’s statement from earlier today, the regulator approached Apple and its App Store in May, asking the tech giant to remove the Dutch gambling apps from its App Store. The gambling authority has repeatedly pointed out over the past several years that iGaming was (and still is) illegal in the Netherlands and that operators that had not been authorized to provide this type of services to Dutch customers would be subjected to serious fines.
It was reported last summer that more than a dozen Dutch-facing gaming and sports betting websites owned by UK-based Total E Soft Ltd. and XKL Ltd. were blocked by Kansspelautoriteit. The two companies linked to the aforementioned online offering were imposed a €180,000 fine by the local regulator.
Earlier this year, the Dutch Lower House voted in favor of an online gambling bill that would allow for the local market’s re-regulation in a manner that would make it possible for international iGaming operators to apply for a license and provide online betting and gaming products in the Netherlands. The proposed legislation was subject to prolonged talks among the country’s top officials for years.
The bill now needs to be passed by the Dutch Senate. People with knowledge of the matter have suggested that the country would not see its market regulated before 2018. The Senate is expected to voice its opinion on whether the local market should be regulated later this year.
Within the context of this article, the new gambling bill also contains provisions for the distribution of online gambling apps to Dutch players. Once the market is regulated, these will be allowed only if the operator owning them has been granted a license by the Dutch gambling authority.
