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 The Dutch government stated that it will be changing its stance on online gambling. The new coalition government announced on Saturday that they would seek to reform the Netherland's anti-online gambling laws and grant licenses for Internet gambling services to offshore gambling sites including many notable names in online poker.
"It is a big shift (in policy), but this is a new government with a more liberal approach," said Jaap Oosterveer, a spokesman for the Dutch ministry of public safety and justice.
The previous government had strongly opposed the expansion of online gambling. They enacted a law similar to the UIGEA but despite the law hundreds of thousands of resident continue to visit online gambling sites.
Fredrik Teeven, the Dutch state secretary of security and justice, sent a letter to the Dutch parliament on Saturday, stating that changes would need to be made if the government wanted to avoid driving players to a thriving underground market. Teeven wrote that consumers should have an appropriate and attractive range of gambling options that offer safeguards against gambling addiction and fraud.
The Netherlands will soon join other European nations, including Italy, France, and England, in opening up their borders to online gaming sites. The Dutch government expects to generate at least 10 million euros ($14.1 million) per year from the auctioning of Internet gambling and lottery licenses starting in 2012.
As always, stay tuned to Casinofan for more news and updates.
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