Since October 4, 2021, players can register with the Central Register for the Exclusion of Games of Chance (Cruks) to self-exclude from gambling for a minimum of six months at all legal providers, both online and land-based. The regulated online market reached a gross gaming result of €1.39 billion in 2023, indicating substantial growth, representing a 28% increase compared to the previous year. Kindred Group confirmed in its 2023 annual report that Unibet is the market leader in the Netherlands. According to Unibet’s parent company, the online casino holds a 20% market share.
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Recent data by Ipsos I&O shows that 65% of the Dutch population aged 16 and older participated in at least one gambling activity within the 12 months. Excluding lottery participation, 34% of the population engaged in gambling over the past year. The survey also differentiated between gambling at physical locations and online. In addition to the Decree, the Dutch minister for Legal Protection, Sander Dekker also published two letters in which he addressed questions that were raised in previous parliamentary debates, including a cooling-off period.
Well known companies that plan to continue their operations with a Dutch KSA-licence are Flutter (PokerStars), Kindred Group (Unibet) and Betsson (most likely with Kroon Casino and Oranje Casino). Unibet stated it expected to lose €14,2 million (£12 million) per month after leaving the Dutch market and Betsson estimated a monthly impact of €2,49 million. For involuntary registration, a concerned party (e.g., a partner, family member, legal guardian, or gambling operator) can request registration through the Ksa. Young adults (aged 18-23) receive special attention due to legal protections. In 2023 (PDF) according to the this age group contributed €135 million to the gross gaming revenue (GGR), making up 9.8% of the total GGR over the past 12 months, a figure that remained stable throughout the year.
The cooling-off period basically meant that operators breaching the rules discussed above were going to be submitted to a cooling-off period of 24 months. During this period they wouldn’t be allowed to apply for a Dutch licence as a response to their violations. In October and November the first big operators announced that they were going to apply for a Dutch licence and hope to return to The Netherlands in Q2 and Q3 of 2022.
- The new Remote Gambling Act was approved in 2019, after first being introduced in 2012.
- The advertising ban on online gambling in the Netherlands came into effect on July 1, 2023, restricting untargeted advertising across various media, including television, radio, and public spaces.
- Data from H2 Gambling Capital showed that Bet365 and BetCity are other major players in the country with 17% market share.
- Starting July 1, 2024, sponsorships of television programmes and events were prohibited, marking the first stage of the phase-out.
- Young adults (aged 18-23) receive special attention due to legal protections.
Since June 30, 2022, Dutch and international celebrities are no longer allowed to appear in gambling adverts by Dutch gambling brands. The ban on role models applies to all ads for high risk games of chance including land-based casinos, sports betting, and online gambling. The ban covers all major mainstream channels such as TV, online ads, outdoor media, and newspaper ads. One of the main reasons to regulate the market was to actually offer consumer protection and avoid illegal operators targeting Dutch players. When the plans for regulation became more concrete, the Gaming Authority was given full control to take action against online casinos and other betting sites that actively targeted Dutch players. Following the announcements of the KSA on the 29th of September that all illegal online casinos will need to be shut down in November 2021, a lot of international operators decided to close down their activities on the Dutch market.
The number of players participating in online scratch cards would be comparable to those playing online casino games like blackjack, roulette, and game shows. Physical scratch cards bought via the Dutch Lottery’s website are not included in the “online scratch card” category. Operators that have refrained themselves from targeting Dutch players in the last few years won’t be affected by this cooling-off period and are free to go ahead and apply for a Dutch licence. With the acceptance of new legal www.betarena.sk operators, the Dutch government wants to encourage consumers to play at legalised online casinos in Holland emphasising the importance of secure gambling, official licences, and responsible playing. The Kansspelautoriteit is an independent governance body and the official regulator of all casino games in the Netherlands, both online and offline.
The advertising ban on online gambling in the Netherlands came into effect on July 1, 2023, restricting untargeted advertising across various media, including television, radio, and public spaces. Starting July 1, 2024, sponsorships of television programmes and events were prohibited, marking the first stage of the phase-out. An exception was made for existing sponsorship deals signed before this date. These agreements were allowed to continue temporarily to honour contractual obligations.
There are a few online casinos that have made a very solid impression so far. Holland Casino offers a lot of bonuses and launched an outstanding website and BetCity has turned out to be a popular website among players as well. TOTO came up with an excellent platform too and even offers its exclusive branded slot game.
Websites such as BetFair, PokerStars, and Unibet all decided to shut down their operations ahead of regulation. The official decision confirming the Act’s implementation was eventually published in the government gazette, clarifying that April 1, 2021, would be the date when the Dutch online gambling market would be regulated. On that day, interested operators began submitting their license applications to the Ksa. By the end of April, the gambling regulator had received 29 applications — far fewer than the initially anticipated 90. Special Note on Online Scratch CardsAlthough online scratch cards are prohibited in the Netherlands, an equivalent type of game, known as “click & reveal” games, exists within the legal market.
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In addition to the offline market, online gambling was legalised in 2019 by The Senate after years of debating that initially started in 2012. The Dutch Gambling Authority Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) was launched in this same year in order to stop illegal operators from targeting Dutch players and prepare for http://kaasinocasino-nl.nl the legalisation of online gambling. We will tell you more about this organisation as they’ve played a crucial role in the new market situation. Other typical Dutch things were also banned, including Dutch flags, excessive usage of the colour orange, and Dutch words and symbols like clogs. Although violations lead to severe financial sanctions, unregulated online casinos have never been blocked online — and still remain accessible to most Dutch internet users. This didn’t mean, however, that online casino websites operating from other countries had a carte blanche.
The Dutch gambling regulator was funded through gaming levies and the prevention of illegal gambling among Dutch players has been one of the main responsibilities ever since it was launched. The most popular online casino games in the Netherlands are the lotto (67%), sports betting (23%), live sports betting (14%), scratch cards (13%) and slots (12%). Check out the full list of the 10 most popular casino games in the Netherlands on Casino.nl. After a more than 24 hour delay the first legal online casinos opened their virtual doors on the 2nd of October 2021. TOTO, GGPoker, BetCity were the first three operators that launched their website, after which casinos such as Holland Casino, and Kansino (formerly known as Batavia Casino) followed with their sites.
The new Remote Gambling Act was approved in 2019, after first being introduced in 2012. There is no cap on the number of online gambling licenses, so the number of license holders may change in the future. Applicants must meet strict requirements, and historically, only about one in three applicants successfully obtains a license. The Dutch Senate voted in favour of the new Remote Gambling Bill in 2019 after which the bill came into effect on the 1st of April 2021. A play limit of €700 per operator has been set (€350 for players aged 18 to 24) to prevent significant losses and addiction.
Although young adults make up only 9.5% of the Dutch population, they represented 22% of all active accounts in December 2023. On the 3rd of March 2020, the Dutch Minister of Justice submitted the Remote Gambling Decree to the Dutch Parliament’s lower chamber, the House of Representatives. The Decree is basically part of secondary legislation in which the Remote Gambling Bill is further specified. The Decree is made up of the specific conditions applicable to the right to obtain an online gambling licence and lays out essential secondary regulation. In November 2019, Sander Dekker, the Minister for Legal Protection, informed the Senate and House of Representatives that the Remote Gambling Act would take effect on January 1, 2021. However, a two-month delay was announced in September 2020, followed by an additional one-month postponement in January 2021, which fueled skepticism among both players and operators.
