Netherlands

Online gambling became legal and regulated in the Netherlands on October 1, 2021. Operators must obtain a license from the KSA to offer online gambling services to Dutch residents. The Netherlands uses a licensing system that allows multiple operators to enter the market. Licenses are available for various types of gambling activities, including online casinos and sports betting.

In February 2019, the Dutch Senate approved the Remote Gambling Bill, which is a modernization of the Betting and Gaming Act and makes it possible to legally offer and play gambling via the internet. The idea behind legalization – in which many countries have preceded the Netherlands – is that issuing licenses allows for the establishment of stringent conditions for online betting and gaming operators. These conditions, set out in a license, are intended to protect players, combat gambling addiction and ensure the fairness of the game.

Under KOA, any EEA-based operator can apply for a remote license subject to rigorous conditions: integration with the CRUKS self-exclusion register, strict duty-of-care rules, robust KYC/AML controls, and compliance with very tight advertising restrictions; gambling tax on remote GGR is currently above 30% and rising, and Holland Casino has not yet been privatised.

In January 2015, the Dutch Gaming Authority, Kansspelautoriteit, signed a letter of intent with the Alderney Gambling Control Commission in anticipation of building a working relationship ahead of the expected approval of online gambling legislation in the Netherlands.

Today, Dutch residents may only gamble online with operators holding a Dutch remote license; Ksa actively enforces against unlicensed sites, including payment and advertising bans and substantial fines.

As of 1 October 2021 there is a mature licensing regime with around 20–30 active online operators, high channelization (over 85%), a ban on blind advertising since July 2023, and an impending ban on all gambling sponsorship from July 2025 license.