Gaming companies aiming to secure a license to operate online in the Netherlands will have to wait a little longer to submit their applications after a technical error delayed this morning’s launch of the licensing portal.

The license application process is now expected to begin later today, having most recently been postponed from January 1 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, with licensed operations set to begin on October 1^st.

License applications are subject to a fee of €48,000, with operators who have illegally served the Dutch market in the past two years barred from licensure.

The launch of the regulated online betting and gaming market in October will end the country’s current sports betting and horse race betting monopolies and regulate online activities for the first time.

An update on the status of the license application portal is expected at 5pm (CEST).