The Netherlands’ new coalition government will insist that online gambling operators maintain some kind of physical presence in the country, potentially contravening European Union trade rules.

This week, four Dutch political parties finally came to terms on a coalition agreement, nearly seven months after voters went to the polls in the March national election. On Monday, the VVD, D66, CDA and Christian Union parties presented their new ‘confidence in the future’ policy program, which includes a brief but ominous reference to online gambling regulation.

The one-line mention states that a prerequisite for receiving a Dutch online gambling license will be for operators to maintain “some form” of physical presence in the country. The vagueness of this language could mean operators would be required to establish a local branch office, base their Dutch-facing servers in the Netherlands, or that only land-based gambling operators will be eligible for online licenses.

While the latter option is unlikely, it’s not explicitly ruled out, and the answer won’t be known until the Dutch Senate takes up debate on the country’s Remote Gaming Bill, which was approved by parliament’s lower house more than a year ago.