KSA calls for gambling machines to be removed from family centres  

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands gambling authority, has ruled that Dutch arcades will no longer service any machines based on ‘games of chance’ in a move to maintain and protect the family environments of arcade venues.

The KSA enforcement has been supported by the Dutch arcade trade body ‘Family Entertainment Centers Nederland (FEC Nederland)’ which has written to members to endorse the KSA’s action plan to remove machines.

The Dutch regulator stated that it has undertaken its decision following a review of the ‘1964 Games of Act Chance’ which governs machine laws for Dutch arcades, amusements, fairgrounds and holiday parks.

In its ruling, the KSA said that the overall make-up of venues has radically changed, with games of chance machines in ‘entertainment centres’ often serving as the first point of contact for underage interactions with gambling.

 The KSA pointed to its research which revealed that the majority of Dutch arcade and entertainment centres catered for ‘games of chance to a greater or lesser extent’.  

Furthermore, the KSA had detailed concerns put forward by FEC Nederland with regards to members’ abilities to monitor underage interactions with machines across its partner venues.  

Supporting the judgement, FEC Nederland stated that it members will no longer support any ‘games of chance’ machine types and that international suppliers have been made aware of imminent changes to Dutch arcade laws.