Failure of self-exclusion system in Dutch jurisdiction reported by regulator

The Dutch Gambling Authority reported that its self-exclusion system for players known as Cruks (Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen) is unable to perform checks on new registered users.

New individual users cannot be reliably validated by using their BSN number which is a unique identification assigned by the government to process the personal data of Dutch citizens. The technical problem is generated by the BSN management system rather than being a problem by the regulator’s system. 

This is not the first time that these problems are being experienced. Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) reports other malfunctions. In September this year it was not possible to validate details of registered users. KSA takes seriously any violation to the self-exclusion system and warned that breaches could result in sanctions. “Failure to check players or ignore a Cruks registration is very serious,” the KSA said. “These players register with Cruks precisely because they have problems with gambling and are no longer in control.”

The KSA recorded 20,000 individuals registered on the self-exclusion system in the Dutch jurisdiction in August this year. The system was set up ten months earlier and has been consulted more than 148 million times during this period. The Dutch gambling act requires all licensed online gambling operators to check details of players with Cruks before allowing them to participate.

A research study was conducted by KSA this year. The results identified that during 2021, a 21-year-old lost €17,000 in three months, a 26-year-old lost €114,000, a 23-year-old lost €87,000 and a 29-year-old lost €27,000. “Gambling providers must monitor the behaviour of their customers and act on it.” adds KSA.