IAGR2025 session:
Since opening its online gambling market in 2021, the Netherlands has rapidly developed a more expansive regulatory approach. This session with the Dutch Gambling Authority will explore how and why that shift occurred and what other jurisdictions can learn from the transition.
With a newly released government vision now prioritising the prevention of gambling harm beyond individual player protection, the session will examine the market dynamics that prompted this change, and how Dutch policy is adapting. The discussion will also explore future regulatory directions and opportunities for international collaboration to create safer gambling environments.
About Michel:
Michel Groothuizen is the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Netherlands Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit). Previously, he served as Deputy Director of the Netherlands Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI) for over four years.
From 2015 until 2020 he was the Managing Director of the Netherlands Institute for Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, NIFP. During these years, he was also a member of the Provincial Council of Utrecht.
Before that, he worked at the administrative department of the Ministry of Justice and Security, as Policy Director and Director of Economics. Groothuizen holds a Master’s Degree in both Law and Public Administration from Leiden University.
