More operators confirm licence renewals as Dutch igaming market’s five-year anniversary approaches
Several major operators’ Dutch igaming licences are due to expire on October 1.
The Netherlands.- The regulated Dutch igaming market is approaching a key milestone with the first five-year licences issued ahead of the October 2021 market launch now coming up for renewal. The initial batch of permits will begin expiring on October 1 2026.
Following the announcement from the national gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) that it had renewed the licence of state-controlled Holland Casino, several other operators have confirmed that they have completed the renewal process. Bingoal and TOTO Online, the latter operated by Nederlandse Loterij, say they have secured new five-year terms beginning on October 1.
The licences of major operators such as BetCity, bet365, Kansino and Fair Play all come up for expiry on October 1. Some operators entered the market later. Jacks.nl has until November 20, while FDJ United’s Unibet has until June 8 2027 due to its late entry into the market owing to the obligatory cooling-off period that the Netherlands enforced for operators with previous grey market activity. OneCasino has until October 5 2027.
The Dutch igaming market has seen some major regulatory changes in its first five years. A ban on using role models to advertise gambling came into effect in July 2022 ahead of a ban on untargeted gambling ads a year later and more recently a ban on sports sponsorship. The measure was intended to protect young people, at-risk gamblers and problem gamblers and applies to influencers and other celebrities as well as well-known athletes. Last week, the KSA called out Betcity and TOTO Winkel over breaches of the Netherlands’ ban on the use of role models in gambling advertising.
There was also the rise in gambling tax in the Netherlands. The rate levied on GGR was increased to 34.2 per cent of gross gaming revenue in January 2025 and then to 37.8 per cent in January this year. Operators and the KSA have raised concerns about the tax hike, noting that tax revenue actually fell after it was introduced.
