News of: Tuesday, May 13 2008,
The newspaper Financiële Dagblad (www.fd.nl) reports that the City of Amsterdam refuses to extend the licenses of two major gambling halls in the Red Light District.
They are the gambling halls 'Molensteeg' and 'Buddy Buddy'. To refuse the licenses, the city uses the new Bibob law, that makes it possible for a city to revoke licenses to busineses if the city has reason to suspect that the money in the company comes from illegal activities or money laundering. Under this law hard proof, as in a criminal law case, is not needed.
The refusal fits in the attempt by Amsterdam to 'clean up' the Red Light District. The project to upgrade the District is called Postcode 1012.
Various brothels and escort agencies have already been closed down, either by refusing a new license, or by buying them out.
A few weeks ago, it became known that already 20% of the brothels in the Red Light District have been bought out (90 of the 458 'windows'), and there are negotiations going on about a further 110 windows.
The owners of the gambling halls have said they will fight the decision to revoke their licenses.
