After a long period of delay because of Corona, the Netherlands has finally adopted its national self exclusion scheme, CRUKS. This programme has come into effect from April 2021. Like the UKGC, the KSA required all gambling operators who want to obtain a Netherlands license to integrate this service.

CRUKS subscription is not mandatory for players, it is completely optional. If a player wants to stop his betting activities for a while he can join this service. But first, he must register to the DigiD system first and obtain the Citizen Service Number (BSN). The DigiD system is a form of digital identity that allows Dutch people to access government services, schools, and banks.

Then, the player can open CRUKS official site, enter his Citizen Service Number (BSN). After that, the signup form will ask him for some other personal details like surname, date of birth, and address. For foreigners, they must also provide the same details, as well as other data to verify their identity.

Prior to each playing session, the gambling site will review the joint exclusion record to check the player; Of course, this is done in a split second, allowing the majority of players to get to their favourite games quickly and for excluded players to maintain their decision!

The Cruks program certainly does not aim to invade players' privacy or reduce the operators’ player base, but its primary goal is to protect players who are prone to gambling addiction.

“This solution helps Dutch gambling companies offer a safer gambling experience, provide a responsible gaming environment, and protect players from compulsive spending,” said Adam Doyle, Head of Gaming at TruNarrative.

“With CRUKCS presence in the Dutch online gambling industry, KSA ensures all players have safe gaming experience as it enforces responsible gambling regulations on all gambling sites”.

Lotto Sites Also Have to Sign Up for CRUKCS

Although lotto contests do not have the fast pace and competitive nature of casino and sports betting, they dominate 40% of the Dutch gambling industry. Therefore, the KSA has announced that it will include lotto operators in the near future into the CRUKS scheme to maintain the common and societal benefit.

How Does CRUKS Work?

As already mentioned, CRUKS is a framework developed for online and offline gambling venues to allow consumers to exclude themselves from all gambling providers with only one request and for a period of their choosing! Click here and get more information about it!

At the current time, CRUKS is applied at all online gambling sites, land based casinos, poker and bingo halls, and sports betting kiosks.

The Cruks software works in a complex manner but it guarantees all banned players won’t be able to gamble again at any licensed sites during the self exclusion period they have set in the sign-up form.

Here's how the program works: If an excluded player wants to enter a land based or online casino, he will be required to enter his BSN code and if this code is associated with a Cruks code, the player will not be allowed to enter the casino. However, the association of a national identity code with a gambling exclusion code may harm the player in other aspects of his life, most notably the banks, as the consumer's credit rating may be lowered, and thus deprive him of credit products.

Is Cruks the Dutch Version of GamStop?

The short answer is yes! A few weeks before the emergence of this scheme, KSA announced a MoU with the UKGC with the aim of focusing on regulatory best practices, exchanging regulatory insights, and sharing info easily. It is clear that problem gambling is the top priority for the regulators. The Dutch Gaming Commission has, therefore, launched its national self exclusion service to eradicate the problem of compulsive gambling.

There are a lot of points in common between GamStop and CRUCKS, namely:

  • Joining both services is completely optional.
  • Gambling operators’ integration is mandatory.
  • Players cannot undo the exclusion.
  • Both services cover locally licensed sites only.
  • It is easy for excluded players to play at offshore casinos.

However, there are subtle differences, including:

  • GamStop is not linked to the users' ID number, but to their residence and IP addresses.
  • Participation in GamStop does not affect the player in any of the other areas, including banks.

Can GameStop and Cruks unite?

Technically and logically, this is almost impossible! Besides that sharing the data of thousands of players is prohibited, it will do nothing to contain the problem of gambling addiction!

As for the operators, they will not integrate any self exclusion service unless they originally intend to obtain a license from the authority in question. However, cooperation between the UKGC and the Dutch Gaming Commission is in full swing to reduce the problem of gambling addiction and provide a safe gaming environment for everyone. So, we believe that restrictions will be "stricter" for operators if statistics show a rise in the rate of players participating in self-exclusion programmes.