PR in the Philippines

(AsiaGameHub) –   The Netherlands’ gambling regulatory body, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has rolled out a new system to streamline the process by which authorized third parties can sign up problem gamblers for the national self-exclusion program CRUKS.

These updates aim to give court-appointed individuals or guardians who manage others’ finances greater legal authority to add those individuals to the register should problem gambling arise.

Such authorizations are typically granted when individuals already face financial issues and are at risk of mishandling their money.

Enrolling them in CRUKS removes the chance that problem gambling will worsen their financial situation. The KSA noted that earlier processes for authorized guardians to take this step were considered inefficient and legally complicated.

Feedback on the old process highlighted an excessive amount of evidence required to prove both that problem gambling was occurring and that it had caused harm, along with lengthy processing delays.

Now, the KSA has adjusted the process so that the authorized entity’s decision carries more weight—reducing the need for extra evidence—and has cut the processing deadline to a maximum of two weeks.

CRUKS is one of the tools the KSA uses to address harmful gambling behaviors among the Dutch population; the system launched in 2021, coinciding with the introduction of regulated online gambling.

In addition to CRUKS, the gambling regulator oversees a dedicated fund subsidized directly by the government, which provides financial support for projects aimed at minimizing gambling-related harm.

The latest fundinground of funding awarded grants to five initiatives focused on developing research, education, prevention efforts, and policy work