Dedicated online entertainment: Localized live casino in the Netherlands

Until recently, online gambling was illegal in the Netherlands, including live dealer casinos. But the situation changed in October 2021, when the Dutch regulatory body Kansspelautoriteit legalized various forms of online gambling. And Evolution Gaming, a gambling company targeting the Dutch market, has just opened the first localized live casino in the country.

Regulatory changes in the Dutch online gambling market

A couple of months ago, all Dutch gambling lovers rejoiced: the Netherlands finally made the last step toward a regulated gambling market. Now, legal Dutch gambling websites are available to all adults, and the new regulations cover both online casinos and sports betting. Obviously, there is still a strict licensing process that casino providers operating in the Netherlands have to go through. But if they take all the steps required by Kansspelautoriteit, they get to enter the market.

Although some are concerned because of the increased amount of advertising that followed the legalization, the fact that Dutch online casinos are legal now is actually a good thing. When gambling is made legal, it can also be taxed. This means that the government gets to use the money it gets from gambling operators on such essential causes as gambling addiction and recovery, among other things. Most experts agree that this is a much more progressive and efficient approach toward dealing with the gambling industry.

How live casinos work

So, what’s so special about live casinos? They are as close as a player can get to have an authentic casino experience without actually visiting a casino. Live casinos rely on such technology as Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Game Control Unit (GCU). Thanks to OPR and GCU, players get to recreate what happens during actual table games, for example, roulette. They use their console at home, and the results are processed on-screen.

Also, live casinos rely on high-quality video streaming. Thanks to it, players can see and interact with the live dealer in high resolution. This gives them a sense of being there. Yet they do not actually have to leave the comfort of their home to play, which is a win-win.

Live casinos emerged back in the 1990s and have been in the picture for a while. But it was the pandemic-caused lockdown that made them truly popular across the world. Players could not go to land-based casinos, so their only resort was online gambling. And finally tables in live casinos are now served by Dutch-speaking dealers.

Luckily, live casinos came to everyone’s rescue and offered players the thrill they could not get from online gambling otherwise. Even though the lockdown is mostly over or at least less strict in the majority of countries, live casinos remain popular. It is not surprising that they are finally legal in the Netherlands, together with the rest of online gambling.

Evolution pioneers with a Dutch localized live casino

While live casinos are different from other types of online gambling (because it is technically a hybrid form of gambling in that it is only half-online), it is also legal in the Netherlands now. So Dutch operators are trying to get licensed as soon as possible to capitalize on the ongoing lockdown in the country.

So far, the only legal localized live casino available to Dutch players is the one launched by Evolution from JHV Gaming & Entertainment. But it is still a good start. According to Eric Olders, who is the CEO and Chairman of the Board of JHV, Evolution’s live casino offers players a wide selection of games, “from live dealer casino classics to a new generation of live online game shows.” It is safe to say that if the casino turns out popular (which it probably will), Dutch players can expect more localized live casinos to pop up in the Netherlands.

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