Online Gambling Regulations in Netherlands

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Published: April 2, 2019
Updated: April 1, 2026

The Dutch are a nation that has always been known to have a very liberal approach towards things most other nations would consider taboo. They’ve legalized prostitution and marijuana, whereas others have tried their utmost to keep these things illegal. One would think that for such a liberal government, online gambling would be no big deal.

The truth is that when it comes to online gambling, the Dutch Government has taken a very conservative approach. All forms of legal gambling in the Netherlands are under strict control by the Dutch Government. The rigorous approach can be seen as a way for the government to seek to protect its citizens.

With the online gambling industry constantly changing, growing and improving, there has been a rapid rise in interest in this popular online activity. It is therefore important that the government applies new laws and regulations for online casinos in the Netherlands, either to ban completely or to legalise online gambling.

Online gambling regulations in the Netherlands

The current stance on legal online gambling is changing, as the country has opted to implement a new Remote Gaming Law. In this guide, we take a look at the history of gambling in the Netherlands, the current laws and what future laws might do for online gambling in the country.

The history of online gambling in the Netherlands

Since the mid-1970s, Holland Casino has been the only company authorised to manage every phase of the gambling market. The company has been able, independently and in partnership with other firms they retained, to manage all 13 of the licensed casinos in the region, as well as every other gambling activity, from the lottery to sports betting and horse racing.

The first Dutch casino, Zandvoort, was also opened by them when they first came into power in the 1970s. Over the years, online gambling came into play, and many players were left confused regarding the legalities of their gameplay.

Legal challenges for online gambling

Before 2005, the Dutch Gaming Authority, Kansspelautoriteit, reminded operators that it was illegal to target players from the Netherlands and warned them not to accept any Dutch citizens into their casinos. The warning was clearly not enough, as the Dutch Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that any online casino offering services to Dutch players or allowing them to participate in gambling on their site is doing so illegally.

Many online operators, especially the major ones such as Ladbrokes and Betfair, were not impressed by the ruling and took matters to the courts. They claimed that the Netherlands' restrictions were not consistent with EU laws.

While the matter was deferred and the European Court of Justice decided on the ruling, the Dutch court officially declared that it had the right to ban online gambling. This was because any ban placed with the intention of preventing crime or gambling addiction among citizens was for the right reason. The online gambling ban was upheld by the Netherlands Supreme Court during a new ruling in February 2012.

Legalisation & regulation

Luckily, in 2013, some good news came to light, as there were whispers of the Netherlands Gaming Authority drafting new legislation that would permit online gambling in the Netherlands. The legislation was passed in 2014, which was historic in itself as it overturned a 50-year-old law that banned foreign companies from entering the Dutch gambling market.

The catch was that only approved operators would receive a 5-year licence, which they could use to run a range of skill and chance games.

The new laws and changes to the Remote Gambling Bill in the Netherlands

While the Netherlands finally opened up its doors to approved operators, it is still not fully on par with neighbouring countries. With there being a push to make online gambling completely legal in the Netherlands, 2019 is proving to be a pivotal year for the country's iGaming market.

Earlier in 2019, the Netherlands’ Minister for Legal Protection, Sander Dekker, published secondary legislation to govern online gambling. This secondary legislation to the remote gambling bill was notified to parliament on July 24th and addresses all online gaming requirements. This includes game integrity, marketing and bonus restrictions, the duty of care requirements, and anti-money laundering rules.

As of October 2021, the new legislation finally allows international online operators to apply for iGaming licenses within the Netherlands.

The newly reworked Remote Gambling Bill allows players to legally enjoy Dutch online casino games, poker and sports betting.

All iGaming operators are expected to adopt specific tools and policies to minimise the risk of gambling addiction. Players are now better protected and have access to tools such as self-exclusion programs on all gaming sites.

The “Cooling Off” period for Dutch online gambling licenses

When the Dutch legislature passed the Remote Gambling Bill earlier in 2019, they added a few stipulations for operators wishing to obtain a Dutch gaming license. One of the major stipulations was that operators who continued to actively offer services to Dutch customers without the permission of the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) regulatory body would have to serve a two-year “cooling off” period.

Only after serving the period would they become eligible for a new Dutch online gambling license. According to the draft policy rule, the operator must not have been actively targeting the Dutch market any later than 2018 in order to be eligible for a license application.

What counts as “actively targeting” the Dutch market?

According to KSA policy, an operator is considered to have actively targeted Dutch players if they engaged in any of the following:

Using a .nl domain name
Providing Dutch language websites or customer support
Running advertisements aimed at Dutch customers
Using branding or imagery associated with the Netherlands
Accepting payments through Dutch payment processors such as iDeal

This cooling-off period ensured that only compliant operators, who respected Dutch gambling laws before legalisation, could enter the regulated market. It also aimed to reward fair play and create a safer, more trustworthy iGaming environment for Dutch players.

Breaking the rules can be very expensive! In March 2026, KSA fined Novatech a record €25 million for illegally targeting Dutch players. Local punters could access the operator's services through platforms like Qbet.com and 55bet.com, even though they didn't have a permit, which shows how serious KSA is when it comes to following the rules.

Changes in the Netherlands' online gambling regulations

In 2024, the country introduced a number of changes applying to both players and operators in an effort to provide a safer gambling environment for all. Those go as follows:

Mandatory net deposit limits: players can now deposit only €700 monthly, while those under 25 are limited to €300. The limit is even bigger for new players - the maximum monthly deposit is €350 for players over 24 and €150 for young adult gamblers.
Operators are facing even stricter requirements and penalties: a universal loss limit spanning all 27 licensed Dutch gaming operators has been introduced. What's more, casinos are now required to display pop-up notifications every 30 minutes to remind players of time and funds spent. They also have to alert players when they reach 50% and 100% of their set deposit or time limits.
Casinos must also monitor player behaviour and intervene within the hour if signs of uncontrolled gambling are observed.

The Dutch are starting 2025 with even more changes in their gambling regulations. From January 1, 2025, KSA introduced stricter guidelines for imposing fines on providers and other parties that fall under its supervision. They include the following key points:

The policy has five fine categories ranging from €500 to €2 million. Severe violations can get fined up to 3% of gross turnover.
Repeat offenders can get doubled fines. Also, the sum providers must pay could be adjusted by up to 50% based on severity, culpability, and financial capacity.
Benefit-related fines are calculated based on the financial advantage gained from the violation and can thus reach twice the total amount.

Do I have to pay a gambling tax?

For players, there is no taxation on any gambling winnings. Players are not even required to report their winnings.

While you are playing at legal online casinos in the Netherlands, you can do so knowing you get to take your winnings home. The Government has focused its tax requirements strictly on gaming operators.

This is a cause of concern for some, as the tax for regulated gambling operators currently stands at a hefty 37.8% tax as of 2026.

Is online gambling legal in the Netherlands?

Happily, with the changes in October 2021, gambling in the Netherlands is again legal, and players are urged to play at sites licensed and approved by the government. The approved sites are fully licensed and regulated, which makes them safer to play.

There were some delays because of COVID-19, but by the end of September, there were 29 applications received. In October 2021, some operators happily received Dutch licensing, and others are yet to do so.

One of the biggest issues online punters face in the Netherlands is that they don’t often have online casinos catering to their native language.

CasinoWow conclusion

CasinoWow recommends that players in the Netherlands only choose licensed online casinos. You will enjoy legal, tax-free winnings and benefit from regulated gameplay, secure payment methods, and responsible gambling tools designed to protect you while you play.

Responsible Gambling & Play Safe — Gamble RESPONSIBLY. At CasinoWow, we're dedicated to responsible gambling and we provide you with many resources to help you play safe.

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