The Dutch Government and Department of Justice are confronting the reality that interactive gaming exists. A representative of the Dutch State Lottery SENS confirmed that online operators will be allowed to establish sites within Holland. Dutch Parliamentary Undersecretary Justice Cohen has called for ISP's to block Nambling sites outside of Holland while allowing online gambling within Holland by Dutch operators.
Cohen proposes that existing licensees within Holland (like the Dutch State Lottery, the Postal Code Lottery and slot operators) be allowed to set up shop on the Internet to allow in-home gambling. He is reported to have said " we should offer legal online gambling because of the large number of existing illegal operators."
Arjan van't Veer of the Dutch State Lottery SENS states that "we, as existing gaming operators, as well as the representatives of the Dutch Government, have to prepare the next steps carefully and on a basis of mutual understanding. Options and consequences must be completely evaluated. An interesting thing, furthermore, is to see how this inititative will effect the traditional gaming policy."
Cohen seems to have so far opted for the persuasive approach saying " it will be extremely difficult to prevent illegal online gambling on the Internet." A dutch Newspaper report says "To prevent the spread of illegal online gambling and the establishment of foreign lotteries through the International computer network, he hopes to pursuade ISP's to block access to such sites for Dutch Netizens."
Portions of this article were contributed by Glenn Barry.