Why Many Dutch Players Prefer Casinos Offering Loyalty Perks and Clear Value Structures

Online casino platforms in the Netherlands that offer players incentives, such as loyalty perks for returning, and have clear and transparent structures of value, are more often prized by Dutch players. This can be attributed to the regulatory environment in which Dutch players play, among other reasons.

The online casino industry in the Netherlands is tightly regulated, which in turn shapes what players expect from their online casinos. Some of the things that Dutch players prize include fairness, transparency, responsibility and value.

These qualities are all enforced and shaped by the strict regulatory environment in which Dutch online casino platforms exist. For Dutch players, trusting that a platform is treating them fairly and providing them with real value in a transparent manner, such as platforms offering no-deposit casino bonuses to players in the Netherlands, is all part of how they discern which platforms are worth playing on.

Let's take a closer look at how the regulatory environment in the Netherlands has helped shape expectations and wants of the Dutch online casino playerbase, as well as why a focus on loyalty programs ties in with this environment.

What is The Dutch Regulatory Environment?

In the Netherlands, online gambling is regulated under the Remote Gambling Act (Wet Kansspelen op Afstand), which, when it came into effect in April 2021, made some amendments to the earlier Betting and Gaming Act of 1964. This change took the Dutch online gambling ecosystem from being a grey market to one that is tightly regulated with a strong emphasis on player safety and responsible gambling.

Since 2021, the Dutch Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit, or KSA) has been able to license online casino operators in the Netherlands and to regulate and enforce compliance in this market. Licensing requires being compliant with a number of player protection and responsible gambling measures, including connection to the Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen (CRUKS), which is a central national self-exclusion register, and the checking of players against this register before allowing them to play.

Other important elements of the Dutch online casino market are that there are strict regulations around the offering of promotions and advertising. Aggressive bonus offers and blanket untargeted advertising are prohibited, as well as any marketing that could be construed as targeting minors or vulnerable people. As time goes on, additional regulatory strictures are being placed on the industry, including affordability checks and other measures aimed at player safety. Because of this, operators in the Dutch online casino market must entice players in other ways than operators in other markets. 

The online casino services that can be offered in the Netherlands, as such, become products of their environment, and players have come to expect certain things of them, such as:

• No aggressive or misleading bonus advertising tactics, instead offering players more value than the competition.
  
• Very transparent rules and protections for players, which extend to any bonuses they might be offered.

How Do Loyalty Perks Fit Into This Environment?

As operators are forced to approach attracting players differently, the offering of things like loyalty programs and bonuses based on repeat play is much more common. While it might be unlikely for casino tourists to travel to the Netherlands to engage with its online casino industry, there are a number of reasons why Dutch players enjoy these loyalty perks.

A Reward For Being a Consistent Customer

Offering players the ability to engage in responsible play and to eventually earn rewards for doing so is perfectly allowable under the KSA regulations. Many of the bonuses that in other markets would be offered as an aggressive sign-up perk are instead offered as a reward for being a consistent or long-term customer. Things such as free spins or exclusive and specific game promotions give players extra value for returning to the same platforms consistently, and they do so without endangering the principles of responsible gaming that the KSA stands for.

For Dutch players, having the clear knowledge that they will be rewarded for consistently engaging with a specific platform is as good a motivating factor as seeing a lucky number is for a superstitious player. It also promotes a more long-term and healthier relationship with online gambling, rather than binge-gambling; it encourages the establishment of a responsible routine around gambling.

Transparent Reward Structures Are Trustworthy

Rather than having bonuses doled out in ways that players might find difficult to predict, having loyalty structures that are clearly outlined makes knowing when a bonus is going to be received much easier to account for. Because of the regulatory requirements around transparency in the Netherlands, online casino platforms must provide players with plenty of information about what sorts of bonuses they will receive and when.

When players are used to a high level of transparency, platforms have found that offering them plenty of clear information about loyalty bonuses that they can acquire through repeat patronage is a great way to build trust with Dutch players.

Long-Term Rewards Rather Than Short-Term Grifts

Many other online gambling markets thrive on the offering of welcome bonuses to customers, but the Dutch regulatory environment forbids this, and operators have found that longer-term incentives can work almost as well. These rewards offer clear value that is linked to ongoing play and loyalty at a platform, which many Dutch players seem to enjoy.

Some things that are relatively common among loyalty programs include:

• Redeemable points systems that offer free bets and play credits.
• Promotions that are aimed specifically at returning players.
• VIP programs that unlock perks that can be used regularly.

As the entire online casino market in the Netherlands is aimed at promoting a healthier and longer-term engagement with online casino gaming, rather than quick bingeing and churning through new players, these long-term loyalty rewards fit the bill perfectly.

Many Loyalty Programs Are Built in Symbiosis with Regulation

Many of the loyalty programs that online casino platforms offer are built in such a way that they help players to play in a way that aligns with how the regulatory bodies in the Netherlands want them to. Loyalty programs often encourage players to use the responsible gambling tools provided, rather than trying to get players to ignore them.

Most Dutch players in this environment feel that operators respect them, and are offering them safe, transparent and structured incentives, rather than trying to trick them with aggressive offers.

Final Thoughts

Online casino gaming in the Netherlands takes place in an environment that has been strictly regulated and constructed in order to protect players and ensure that they are able to engage in activities that are transparent and safe. Operators and players know this, and most of them have embraced the realities of this situation, with operators offering players services that align with these ideals, and players enjoying and engaging with those services.

It could easily be said that the types of services that operators offer and that players expect in the Netherlands are heavily shaped by the regulatory environment in which online casino gaming takes place.