The Dutch Gaming Authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has confirmed that no gambling sponsorships will be allowed during next weekend’s Formula 1 Grand Prix at Zandvoort. 

The move comes under strict new legislation introduced last month which prohibits advertising for sports betting apps not regulated in the Netherlands.

The KSA has reached out to event organisers and sports bodies to ensure that no teams, domestic or international, compete with visible gambling branding. 

A forced rebrand

For Stake, the online casino and sports betting operator holding title sponsorship of Sauber Motorsport, this represents a major challenge.

Stake F1’s C45 race cars, driven by Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, are usually plastered with the company’s matte green and black branding. 

For Zandvoort, the team will compete under the name Stake F1 Team Kick, using the streaming service Kick to replace Stake branding for Dutch viewers while retaining its team name.

Challenges due to its betting association are nothing new for the Swiss-based team, which has implemented similar branding swaps in Belgium last month and in previous races in Spain, Australia and Qatar when regulatory restrictions applied. 

Unlike last year, when the KSA’s informal request allowed Stake-branded cars to run at the Dutch Grand Prix, the regulator now requires measures such as geo-blocking to prevent Dutch fans from accessing the betting platform.

Stake has also been expanding its sponsorship portfolio, recently becoming the official betting partner for esports organisation Team Vitality.

Further monitoring

The Netherlands continues to clamp down on its betting rules, with the KSA also recently warning TonyBet for offering football betting markets that breached Dutch law.

The operator offered bets on the Ballon d’Or winner and the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Boot. However, the country prohibits these types of wagers, as the outcomes are determined by votes or jury decisions rather than measurable results from official sporting competitions.

Looking ahead

The KSA has signalled that enforcement action will continue across the sector, with automated checks of all active licence holders’ Control Databases (CDBs) ongoing. 

Operators are being reminded to review all sponsorship and marketing activity carefully and to seek guidance from the regulator to avoid further breaches. The KSA also states that it has monitored the situation in neighbouring Belgium, where a similar ban on sponsorship was introduced by some firms and football clubs have found ways to get around it.

This approach underlines the Netherlands’ broader commitment to tightening controls over gambling advertising and compliance in the coming months, with a range of new regulatory conditions likely after the October elections conclude.

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