First licence renewals confirmed ahead of Dutch gambling market’s fifth anniversary
The KSA is conducting its first five-year licence review since the Netherlands’ regulated online gambling market launched.
Key takeaways:
- The KSA has renewed eight online gambling licences in the first five-year review since the Dutch online gambling market opened in 2021.
- Operators including TOTO, Holland Casino Online, Bet365, Betcity and GG Poker have permission to continue operating until September 2031.
- Renewals came under stricter scrutiny, with the KSA placing greater emphasis on compliance records, corrective actions for past breaches, governance standards and a new requirement for operators to submit market exit plans.
The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has renewed eight online gambling licences as part of the first five-year licence review since the Netherlands’ regulated online gambling market launched in October 2021.The regulator confirmed that the licences will allow the operators concerned to continue offering legal online gambling services in the Netherlands from October 1 2026 until September 30 2031.
The Operators awarded renewed licences so far are TOTO Online BV, which operates the TOTO and Winnitt brands, Holland Casino NV’s Holland Casino Online platform, Play North Limited’s Kansino brand, FPO Nederland BV’s FairPlay Casino, Bingoal Nederland BV, Hillside (New Media Malta) Plc, which runs Bet365, NSUS Malta Limited, operator of GG Poker, and Betent BV, which owns Betcity. Bingoal and TOTO Online had already announced last month that they had received renewals.
The KSA previously confirmed that it had renewed state-controlled Lotto BV’s lottery and sports betting monopoly licences for five years. That’s despite a pending appeal before the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State regarding the lawfulness of the continuation of the monopoly system for these verticals. The KSA said that it would have preferred to await the ruling of the Council of State before granting new monopoly licences but ultimately decided that it needed to make a decision given the approaching expiration of the current licences at the end of this year.
The KSA noted that some applicants were granted licences subject to “additional points for attention”. While these operators met the necessary legal standards, the regulator indicated that it expects continued improvements in compliance and governance practices. TOTO Online was criticised by the regulator in June after being found to have breached a ban on the use of role models in gambling advertising.
The renewed licence holders comprise a combination of domestic and international businesses that were already active in the Dutch market. So far, no new operators have been granted approval as part of the renewal process. The list also reflects changes that have taken place since regulation was first introduced. LiveScore and Tombola, both among the original 10 operators licensed in 2021, withdrew from the Netherlands in 2024.
For the latest licensing round, the KSA adopted a more detailed and demanding assessment process than it did five years ago. New policy rules introduced by the regulator in September 2025 placed greater emphasis on an operator’s compliance history. One of the key new requirements focused on companies that had been subject to regulatory action during their time in the Dutch market.
Operators were required to provide details of corrective measures taken in response to any past breaches, along with information on how similar violations would be avoided in future. A new obligation requiring all applicants to submit an exit plan has also been introduced. The measure is designed to ensure operators can leave the Dutch market in an orderly manner if their licence is not renewed, is revoked, or if they voluntarily withdraw before the next renewal cycle.
The renewal process marks a significant milestone for the Dutch market, as the original licences granted when regulation was introduced in 2021 are due to expire at the end of September. The final list of successful applicants will reveal how many operators have chosen not to continue operating in the market.
The policy initially prompted concerns among operators that licence renewals could become significantly more difficult. However, during discussions with industry stakeholders last year, the regulator sought to reassure licence holders that it would not apply an excessively rigid interpretation of the rules.
