Dutch minister defends sponsorship transition timeline
Dutch minister for legal protection, Franc Weerwind, has defended the timeline of the country’s sponsorship ban, amid further questioning on the subject from MPs.
In July, the Dutch government announced a number of measures to curb gambling advertising, following severe pressure from MPs. Many forms of ads will be banned from the start of next year, while gambling sponsorships in football will be banned from 2025.
When asked about the upcoming sponsorship ban, Weerwind said that the two-year adjustment period set out for the ban is a “reasonable” length of time.
“That is why a period of two years has been provided for the entry into force of a ban on sports sponsorship,” he said.
“In view of the serious importance of addiction prevention and the special importance of sport, I consider this a short, but reasonable period of time.”
He was questioned in parliament last week (23 September) by Mirjam Bikker, a member of political party ChristenUnie.
The questions mostly dealt with foo..