TITO allowed on 'category 13' machines

Following a recent change of legislation in the Netherlands a number of restrictions on gaming machines will be eased. It is envisaged that from 1 January 2011 cashless play will be permitted in arcades in the Netherlands. This means that from this moment on, TITO will be allowed on what are known as category 13 machines, as well as other methods of payment such as smartcards.

A number of details still need finalising such as the length of the different waiting periods required for the different values inserted. This requirement is already applied to bank notes where the higher the value, the longer the delay. It is relevant to cashless payment as well and, as it stands, it applies to all payments higher than two euros which is the biggest currency in coins. Together with the Ministry of Justice, Verispect and the manufacturers, NMi is involved in the discussions that should lead to a solution that will be suitable for all interested parties.

Maximum credit

Furthermore, there is a decision pending on the maximum credit which can be held on a ticket and / or smart card. The Ministry of Justice would like to have a maximum of €50 but the amount is still under consideration. It is proposed that if the credit meter holds over € 50 it is not allowed to accept any more credits until  the meter has come under €50.

Arcades connecting machines to such a system will initially be granted an exemption in a similar manner to the solution adopted in Belgium. To make it easier to connect the equipment in the future the VAN 18 protocol has been developed which will be the communication standard for the Dutch market. This should be implemented by the manufacturer and will be included in the approval process of the system. This will become an important part of the test procedure of NMi.

The approval process will change

To speed up the approval process there will be changes to the procedures in the Netherlands.  Currently, when a manufacturer puts a machine with a test house like NMi this ultimately leads to the approval, although it does not grant the VVT (the Dutch term for the approval).  

In the future, the manufacturer will submit the application to the KSA (the Dutch equivalent of a Gaming Board) by means of an application form. This application must be complete and meet all other requirements otherwise it cannot be processed. The application form must be accompanied by a test report delivered by a test house. This report is a record of the findings.

If the application meets all the requirements, then a decision on this application should be taken by the KSA within 6 weeks and forwarded to the manufacturer. If not, the request is automatically approved and the VVT granted.

This change in the process will be a huge advantage for manufactures. They are now guaranteed to know if their machine has been approved, or not, within six weeks.

More information? 

For further information please contact Ben Verhoeff +31786332234 or bverhoeff@nmi.nl