Netherlands gambling chair Michel Groothuizen joins GREF board

Michel Groothuizen, who took over as chair of the Netherlands Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit or KSA) last year, will serve on the board of the Gambling Regulators European Forum (GREF) for the 2025–2027 term. His appointment was confirmed unanimously by the member regulators.

Groothuizen will serve on the board as a general member, joining a group of senior regulatory officials from across Europe. The current chair of GREF is Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, who also heads the French gambling regulator, Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ). Anders Dorph, director of the Danish Gambling Authority, and Tim Miller, executive director at the UK Gambling Commission, are also board members.

Other members include Sarah Kelly, general counsel at the Alderney Gambling Control Commission; Kinga Warda, chief officer for policy and international affairs at the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA); Magali Clavie, president of the Belgian Gaming Commission; and Atle Hamar, director general of the Norwegian Gaming and Foundation Authority.

GREF, a non-profit collective of European gambling regulators established in 1989, coordinates knowledge exchange and policy discussions across jurisdictions. It facilitates regulatory cooperation through dedicated working groups and periodic forums.

Groothuizen described the GREF as a practical alliance for supervisors. He said that joining the board is an opportunity to work toward a market environment that is “safe and fair.”

“I am going to try to arrive at broadly supported minimum standards that will put a floor in the market everywhere in Europe,” said Groothuizen.

Groothuizen’s role at the KSA follows a government career that included serving as Deputy Director General of the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI). He was appointed as KSA chair in July 2024 after René Jansen stepped down.

According to the KSA, Groothuizen “looks forward to a pleasant collaboration with other countries in the coming administrative period,” and aims to support the development of unified standards for gambling oversight across Europe.