Marja Appelman Steps Down As Dutch Gaming Authority CEO

After spending five years at the helm of The Kansspelautoriteit, acting CEO, Marja Appelman, has announced she will be leaving the Dutch Regulator to take up the role of Executive Director of the Housing Market Directorate at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. Appelman will be appointed as chief executive on August 1st, although her term at The Netherlands Gaming Authority as a board member is due on October 1st. Two other hips will end in October, including the chairman of the board, Jan Suyver and Henk Kesler. In addition, a new president will be announced immediately after these events.

Despite the fact that online gambling in the Netherlands still gets the short end of the stick, Suyver said that Appelman contributed to Kansspelautoriteit as a truly inspiring leader, confirming that the board will successfully grapple with the CEO’s remaining tasks until a review of the regulator’s management structure initiates. As a reminder, The Dutch parliament’s lower house approved a Remote Gambling Bill in 2016, thus announcing a new online gambling licensing regimen in the country.

Nevertheless, the legislation requires approval from the Senate and licensing is probably going to be postponed until 2019. On the other hand, the Dutch regulator is keen on encouraging measures against operators who target players in Holland, announcing it would crack down on online gambling by focusing on underage betting and unlicensed venues.

In the official statement, Appelman said that her job as CEO is done, since the Netherlands Gaming Authority is at the brink of expanding its gambling services, both within the country’s borders and in other regulated markets. If the Remote Gambling Bill is approved, the next phase of online betting might commence, added Appelman.

Source:

“Chief Executive of the Netherlands Gambling Authority Marja Appelman leaves”, kansspelautoriteit.nl, July 6, 2018.