Online casinos in the Netherlands: the Dutch gambling market

To start with the most pressing question: is online gambling legal in the Netherlands? The answer is YES.
The Remote Gambling Bill allowing online games of chance was adopted in the Netherlands in February 2019 after almost a decade of debate and division. The Remote Gambling Act (Kansspelen op Afstand, Koa) came into effect on April 1, 2021 — officially initiating the licence application process for interested operators.

After the Dutch gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) granted the first licences on the 29th of September 2021, the first regulated online casinos opened their virtual doors in the Netherlands on the 2nd of October 2021.

Make Sure To Read: Find out everything about the Dutch Gambling Law (source in Dutch)

Overview

• Dutch Gambling Authority
• Online Gambling regulations
• Regulation timeline
• Gambling in the Netherlands explained
• Frequently Asked Questions

Top licenced Dutch gambling sites

Check out the best online casino Netherlands:

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Gambling in the Netherlands overview

Gambling is legal in the Netherlands under the Betting and Gambling Act 1964 which is a law that was made in the 60’s to regulate gambling. Being written in a time when the internet didn’t exist, the law was obviously outdated by the time the first online casinos emerged. Until the market officially opens up in October 2021, the Netherlands only has a regulated offline gambling market. This market currently consists of a number of gambling products:

• Land Based Casino Monopoly: Operated by the state-owned company Holland Casino, which manages 14 brick and mortar casinos across the country. Holland Casino is the only legitimate provider of table games in the Netherlands.
• Gaming Halls: In 2018, there were a total of 276 gaming halls in the Netherlands. Only slot machines are permitted in these halls; table games are not allowed.
• State Lottery: Operated by de Staatsloterij, offering various lottery games to the public.
• Charity Lottery: Operated by de Goede Doelen Loterijen. These lotteries allocate a significant portion of their earnings to charitable causes.
• Sports Betting: The market has transitioned from TOTO’s state monopoly until October 2021 to an open market. A separate sports betting licence is needed to offer this gambling product.
• Lotto: Operated by Nederlandse Loterij, Lotto offers weekly draws with substantial jackpots. A portion of the proceeds supports sports and charitable campaigns in the Netherlands.
• Horse Racing: The market has shifted from ZEturf’s state monopoly to an open market. Operators need a separate licence to offer this gambling product, which is distinct from the sports betting licence.
• Land-based Slot Machines: The number of slot machines in the Netherlands totals around 51,000 as of 2020. This includes approximately 14,000 in bars and restaurants and nearly 37,000 in casinos and speelhallen.

Types of Licences

There are four types of gambling licenses in the Netherlands:

1. Casino Games against the House (e.g., blackjack, roulette, slot machine games)
2. Casino Games against Other Players (e.g., poker, bingo)
3. Sports Betting
4. Horse Racing Betting

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.

Gross Gaming Result

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. Data from H2 Gambling Capital showed that Bet365 and BetCity are other major players in the country with 17% market share.

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 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. 

Market share online casinos in the Netherlands (2023)
1	Unibet	20%
2	Bet365	17%
3	BetCity	17%
4	TOTO Casino	13%
5	Holland Casino	8%
6	Jacks	7%
7	Circus Casino	3%
8	Kansino	3%
9	711 Casino	3%
10	Livescore Bet	2%
	Other Brands	7%

Make Sure To Read: Check out our complete lottery guide (source in Dutch).

Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa)

The Kansspelautoriteit is an independent governance body and the official regulator of all casino games in the Netherlands, both online and offline. The Kia was established on the 1st of April 2012 in city of The Hague. 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.

Prior to the establishment of the Ksa, the gambling market was overseen by the Supervisory Board for Games of Chance, which was founded in 1996. The former Supervisory board focused on gambling as a whole, rather than on internet gambling. The latter has become one of the main tasks of the KSA after online casinos started gaining popularity. Ksa’s key responsibilities include: 

1. Protecting and informing players about the risks of online gambling.
2. Preventing illegal activities.
3. Preventing gambling addictions.

Make Sure To Read: Read our full profile about the Kansspelautoriteit (source in Dutch)

Cruks (Self-Exclusion Register)

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. Licensed operators must check Cruks before granting access to their games.

Cruks registration can be voluntary or involuntary. For involuntary registration, a concerned party (e.g., a partner, family member, legal guardian, or gambling operator) can request registration through the Ksa. Involuntary registration also lasts for six months. By January 2024, Cruks had recorded 63,543 registrations.

Make Sure To Read: Read everything about Cruks (Dutch).

Online Gambling Regulation in the Netherlands

The new Remote Gambling Act was approved in 2019, after first being introduced in 2012. Although the Netherlands was among the last countries in the European Union (EU) to legalise online gambling, the coalition agreement of Cabinet Rutte II had already indicated that the country’s gambling policy was in need of reform.

In May 2013, 6 years before the final approval, the Remote Gambling Bill (Koa Act) was put on the agenda for the first time. In June 2016, the bill was finally discussed in the House of Representatives and the law was passed on July 7, 2016. It then took yet another three years before the Senate also passed the law: February 19, 2019 was the day the bill was officially accepted. 

Make Sure To Read: Read our full report about the Senate’s decision to legalise online gambling (source in Dutch)

October 2024: Mandatory Play Limits

Stricter measures have been implemented to protect players. A play limit of €700 per operator has been set (€350 for players aged 18 to 24) to prevent significant losses and addiction. Operators are also required to actively monitor player behaviour and intervene when necessary to ensure compliance and safeguard players’ well-being. The mandatory play limits were implemented on October 1, 2024.

July 2023: Ban On Gambling Ads

Since the legalisation of online gambling in the Netherlands in October 2021, gambling ads have faced ongoing pressure. A partial ban on gambling ads on TV, radio, and outdoor media was adopted in July 2023. 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.

1. As of 1 July, 2023, gambling ads on TV, radio, and outdoor media was is no longer permitted.
2. As of 1 July, 2025, all forms of sponsorship, including those related to sports, will no longer be permitted.
3. Online advertising is still allowed provided that operators target people of 24 years or older.

June 22: Ban On Brand Ambassadors

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. National lottery operators such as the Staatsloterij (State Lottery), the Lotto and the Goededoelenloterijen (Charity Lotteries) are not affected by the ban as these are classified as games of chance that represent a lower risk with the main criterion for this being the delayed time between purchase and outcome of the game.

April 1, 2021: New Gambling Law Comes Into Effect

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.

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. On September 29, 2021 it was announced that 10 licences had been granted.

October 2, 2021: First Dutch Online Casinos Launched

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.

Dutch players were now allowed to legally sign up at Dutch casinos with an official KSA-licence. Of the 10 licenced operators, 9 launched their websites after the market officially opened. LiveScore announced it was going to launch its site in 2022. Other companies obtained launched their website at a later stage. The operators that currently hold a licence by the KSA are:

Operators with a Duch gambling licence (KSA)
Operator	Country of origin	Products	Date of launch
BetCity	Netherlands	Online casino, live casino, sports	October 2, 2021
TOTO	Netherlands	Online casino, live casino, sports	October 2, 2021
GGPoker	UK	Poker	October 2, 2021
Holland Casino	Netherlands	Online casino, live casino, sports	October 4, 2021
Kansino	Malta	Online casino, live casino	October 5, 2021
Fair Play	Netherlands	Online casino, live casino	October 8, 2021
Bingoal	Belgium	Online casino, live casino, sports	October 11, 2021
Bet365	UK	Online casino, live casino, sports	October 26, 2021
Jack's Casino	Netherlands	Online casino, live casino, sports	November 25, 2021
ZeBet	France	Sports	February 15, 2022
LiveScore Bet	UK	Sports	March 23, 2022
Circus	Belgium	Online casino, live casino, sports	March 24, 2022
777	Belgium	Online casino, live casino	April 14, 2022
711	Belgium	Online casino, live casino, sports	April 25, 2022
Novamedia	Netherlands	TBA	Licence application revoked
Unibet	Sweden	Online casino, live casino, sports, bingo, poker	July 4, 2022
BetNation	Netherlands	Online casino, live casino	October 18, 2022
One Casino	Malta	Online casino, live casino	October 19, 2022
ComeOn Casino	Malta	Online casino, live casino	October 25, 2022
Goldrun Casino	Malta	Online casino, live casino	November 10, 2022
VBet Casino	Armenia/UK	Sports	June 23, 2023
Winn Itt	Netherlands	Crash Games, Click & Reveal, Bespoke, Bingo	September 18, 2023
LeoVegas	Sweden	Online casino, live casino, sports	October 4, 2023
Hommerson Online	Netherlands	Online casino, live casino	February 1, 2024
BetMGM	US/Sweden	Online casino, live casino, sports	April 27, 2024
TonyBet	Estonia	Online casino, live casino, sports	Unknown
Scori Pro	Netherlands	Fantasy sports betting	May 13, 2024
Hard Rock Casino	Netherlands	Online casino, live casino	July 2, 2024
New Future Games	Netherlands	Unknown	Unknown
Lucky 7 Casino	Netherlands	Online casino	December 2024
Starcasino	Belgium	Unknown	Unknown

Tombola ceased its operations in The Netherlands on October 1, 2024, becoming the first operator to exit the Dutch market.

The Long Road to Legalisation

Although the market for online gambling in Holland was legalised relatively late in October 2021, Dutch players had been massively visiting online casinos even before the legal market was opened. Before the legalisation of the online gambling market in the Netherlands on October 1, 2021, the size of the illegal online gambling market was estimated at approximately €750 million per year in 2020. This amount represented the total bets placed by Dutch players with unregulated online gambling operators.

No Room for Illegal Operators

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. Initially, this meant that online casinos were no longer allowed to use the Dutch language on their website, nor use a .nl domain, but soon other limitations were added to this list, such as the prohibition of the banking method iDEAL.

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. 

International Operators Forced to Leave The Dutch market

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. Websites such as BetFair, PokerStars, and Unibet all decided to shut down their operations ahead of regulation.

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. 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.

24 month Cooling-Off period

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 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. 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. 

Making Consumers Find The Legal Offer Via Channelisation

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 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.

In order to do so, the Dutch government works with a so-called channelisation approach (the process of players creating brand awareness and guiding them from illegal to legal online casinos) of 80% after a period of three years. Survey results from the report “Participation in Gambling in the Netherlands: 2024 Measurement (PDF)” by Ipsos I&O Research revealed that 75% of respondents reported gambling exclusively at licenced online casinos, while 22% were unsure if they had gambled at a legal or illegal site. This report was shared with the House of Representatives in June 2024 by then Minister for Legal Protection, Franc Weerwind.

As of October 2024, GfK and H2 Capital (PDF) states the market’s current channelisation rate is between 87% and 95%, well above the 80% target set in 2021. The Ksa believes the country has a 95% channelisation rate.

Special Attention For Young Adults

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. Although young adults make up only 9.5% of the Dutch population, they represented 22% of all active accounts in December 2023.

Make Sure To Read: Check out our list of online casinos we believe will obtain a Dutch licence (info in Dutch).

Timeline Online Gambling in the Netherlands

• October 10, 2024: Between 87% and 95% of Dutch consumers plays at licensed gambling sites, well above the 80% target set in 2021 in the so-called channelisation approach.
• October 1, 2024: Mandatory play limits have been implemented to protect players. A play limit of €700 per operator has been set for adults and €350 for young adults (players aged 18 to 24).
• May 2024: The regulated online market reaches a gross gaming result of €1.39 billion in 2023, representing a 28% increase compared to 2023.
• March 2024: Unibet is the country’s market leader with a 20% market share, followed by Bet365 and BetCity with 17% market share.
• July 1, 2023: A full ban on gambling ads on TV, radio, and outdoor media was adopted in July 2023. Online advertising is still allowed provided that people of 24 years and older are targeted.
• June 30, 2022: celebrities are no longer allowed to promote gambling brands. This concerns all gambling related marketing, except sport sponsorship deals and public awareness campaigns.
• January 2022: new Minister for Legal Protection, Franc Weerwind, announces plans to ban gambling ads.
• October 2, 2021: first online operators in the Netherlands officially launch their websites . People from the Netherlands that are 18 years or older and not listed in the Cruks-register are now allowed to legally gamble online.
• September 29, 2021: KSA announces 10 licences have been issued.
• April 19, 2021: the KSA announces it received 29 applications for a Dutch licence.
• October 1, 2021: online operators will start their activities on the Dutch gambling market, holding a gambling license issued by the Kansspelautoriteit.
• April 19, 2021: the KSA announces there have been 28 applications to date.
• April 1, 2021: operators can apply for a Dutch gambling licence. Application does not guarantee approval and the KSA will need 6 months to handle all the licences. 
• February 19, 2020: the Senate votes in favour of the Remote Gambling Bill allowing the legalisation of online gambling in the Netherlands.
• July 7, 2016: the House of Representatives adopts the Remote Gambling bill.
• June 30, 2016: House of Representatives discusses the Gambling Bill.
• July 11, 2014: Council of Ministers agrees to reform gambling policy.
• May, 22, 2013: the Remote Gambling Bill (Kansspelen op Afstand, Koa) is presented for consultation.
• October 29, 2012: coalition agreement Rutte II cabinet first speaks about reforms in the gambling.

Gambling in the Netherlands Explained

When taking a closer look at the most popular games of chance in the Netherlands, we’ll need to stick to the same distinction we made between offline and online gambling in order to give you a full understanding about the Dutch gambling market. Peter Visser already did some in-depth research (source in Dutch) about the most popular games of chance in the Netherlands, using data from an international market research from 2016 that was conducted by Bonamy Finch on behalf of a major online casino.

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. A significant portion of these participants only played lotteries. 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.

The top five most-played gambling activities were all land-based, including:

1. Lotteries (55%).
2. Scratch cards. (21%).
3. Physical bingo (7%).
4. Slot machines at physical locations (6%).
5. Casino games at physical locations (5%).
6. The sixth most popular was online sports betting, with 4% of the population participating.

Offline

As for offline gambling activities data by Ipsos I&O shows that:

• 5% of Dutch residents visited a Holland Casino location in the past year.
• 2% visited a gaming hall.
• Most visitors to Holland Casino went once (50%) or a few times (33%) in the past year, while 7% visited weekly or more frequently.

Make Sure To Read: We’ll tell you everything about Dutch land based casinos (source in Dutch).

Online Gambling

Online sports betting was the most popular form of online gambling, with 4% of the Dutch population aged 16 and older participating in the past year. Most players bet relatively small amounts online. In the 30 days preceding the survey:

1. 38% lost less than €20.
2. 29% lost between €20 and €49.
3. 19% lost €100 or more.

The types of online gambling activities engaged in by the Dutch population over the past 12 months are outlined below, showing the participation rates by category:

Type of online game	Past 12 months
Sports betting	4%
Slot machines	3%
Casino games	2%
Scratch cards	2%
Bingo	2%
Poker	2%
Horse race betting	1%
Other online gambling games	3%

Special Note on Online Scratch Cards
Although online scratch cards are prohibited in the Netherlands, an equivalent type of game, known as “click & reveal” games, exists within the legal 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.

FAQ online casinos in the Netherlands

This article was written by:

• December 2023: This article was updated with a paragraph explaining the role of the self-exclusion Cruks register.
• March 2024: This article was updated with the 4 types of gambling licenses in The Netherlands.
• June 2024: This article was updated with new data by Ipsos I&O Research across different topics.
• October 2024: This article was updated with new data by GfK and H2 Capital about the channelisation rate in the Netherlands.

Legal Betting Sites in The Netherlands

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