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About Stepping Diamonds
Van Bruggen insisted more time was needed to establish whether an age limit hike to 21 would actually have the adverse effect of pushing young people in the Netherlands towards unlicensed offerings.
Among those pushing for the increased age limit were the SGP’s Diederik van Dijk and the CDA’s Tijs van den Brink.
Van Bruggen said the matter would be raised in subsequent progress reports.
What is Stepping Diamonds?
On Wednesday, the Science and Technology Committee (CCT) approved a project furthering restrictions on advertising and sponsorship of betting.
The proposal also established criteria for risk classification of products and clarifying the obligations of operators and platforms. The measure would likely grant the illegal market the opportunity to continue expanding, as it would be unaffected by the new rules. The committee approved a request for urgency for analysis by the Senate Plenary.
Authored by Senator Damares Alves and six other senators, Bill 2.470/2026 amends the Betting Law, which regulates fixed-odds betting, with measures aimed at protecting mental health, consumers, and the family economy. The bill received a favourable opinion, in the form of a substitute from Senator Alessandro Vieira.
What is Stepping Diamonds?
The DOCV reinforced its calls for a unified federal licensing regime for online casino games and stronger enforcement mechanisms against illegal operators.
An ongoing review of the Interstate Treaty on Gambling, which is meant to conclude by the end of this year, should introduce a nationwide licensing model for online casino games, the group added.
As part of the review, German regulators decided in July to lift the €1 staking limit on online slots, another signal that regulators are actively reassessing the framework ahead of the treaty’s formal review.
