Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands’ Gambling Authority, will introduce tougher licensing requirements for remote gambling from 1 January 2026, as the first wave of five-year permits approaches expiry.

Originally issued in September 2021, the inaugural licences will lapse in October 2026. Operators seeking to enter or remain in the Dutch market will now face stricter obligations, with all applicants required to submit both a risk analysis under the country’s anti-money laundering law (WWFT) and an exit plan setting out how operations would be wound down if approval is denied.

Existing licence-holders will undergo a separate renewal process, which includes a full reassessment of player protection standards, advertising and marketing policies, and a new integration test for the regulator’s control database (CDB). Any breaches over the past five years must be disclosed and explained, alongside evidence of remedial steps taken.

The KSA warned that operators failing to comply with court rulings at the time of application will be deemed unreliable, risking rejection or additional conditions being imposed.

The changes mark one of the most significant updates to Dutch gambling regulation since the market’s legalisation in 2021, underscoring the regulator’s intent to enforce tighter scrutiny as the industry enters its second licensing cycle.

These changes come shortly after a blanket ban on sports sponsorships in July, an expansion of the ban on ‘untargeted’ advertising introduced in 2023, and amid wider political turbulence and conversations around gambling harm in the Netherlands.

2025 – All Politics for Dutch licences 

Dutch gambling licences face a tense end of year as a snap election is set for 29 October, following the collapse of the conservative quartet coalition over immigration policy and renewable energy targets.

Just weeks before the government’s collapse, parliament accepted a proposal from former Legal Protections Minister Teun Struycken, calling for a complete overhaul of the Remote Gambling Act (KOA). Struycken argued that a new framework was needed after academic and public health feedback highlighted gaps in consumer protection.

The Ministry of Justice is now preparing to hear proposals to redesign Dutch gambling law, with priority given to protecting under-24 consumers, seen as the group most vulnerable to gambling risks.

October’s election is expected to determine the future direction of gambling regulation, with all major parties pushing for tighter compliance and restrictions. However, fiscal policy remains unchanged: gambling income will continue to face a rising tax burden, climbing year-on-year to 38%.

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