Online gambling firms operating in the Netherlands are opposed to government plans to auction a limited number of operating licences in 2012, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Wednesday.

The government hopes to raise €10m in licence fees for online gambling. At the moment, the sector is unregulated even though it is illegal in Dutch law to target Dutch online gamblers.
The online gaming foundation STIOGG says that proper regulation can only be stimulated if there are an unlimited number of licences for online poker, betting and bingo.
The government is currently drawing up draft legislation.
Casinos
Meanwhile, the national audit office has warned that the state’s gambling monopoly Holland Casino is skating on thin ice by trying to expand its catering and entertainment operations.
Holland Casino is supposed to work towards combatting addiction and turning casinos into complete entertainment centres may encourage more people to take up gambling, the office is quoted as saying in the Financieele Dagblad.