Since October 4, 2021, players can register with the Central Register for the Exclusion of Games of Chance (Cruks) to self-exclude from gambling for a minimum of six months at all legal providers, both online and land-based. The regulated online market reached a gross gaming result of €1.39 billion in 2023, indicating substantial growth, representing a 28% increase compared to the previous year. Kindred Group confirmed in its 2023 annual report that Unibet is the market leader in the Netherlands. According to Unibet’s parent company, the online casino holds a 20% market share.
The Dutch online gambling market accepts both domestic and international operators. From October 2, 2021 online casinos have been allowed to offer their gambling products to Dutch players. Online casinos that are available in the Netherlands include Holland Casino Online, TOTO, BetCity, and Bet365. Although the market for online gambling in Holland was legalised relatively late in October 2021, Dutch players had been massively visiting online casinos even before the legal market was opened. Before the legalisation of the online gambling market in the Netherlands on October 1, 2021, the size of the illegal online gambling market was estimated at approximately €750 million per year in 2020. This amount represented the total bets placed by Dutch players with unregulated online gambling operators.
The new Remote Gambling Act was approved in 2019, after first being introduced in 2012. There is no cap on the number of online gambling licenses, so the number of license holders may change in the future. Applicants must meet strict requirements, and historically, only about one in three applicants successfully obtains a license. The Dutch Senate voted in favour of the new Remote Gambling Bill in 2019 after which the bill came into effect on the 1st of April 2021. A play limit of €700 per operator has been set (€350 for players aged 18 to 24) to prevent significant losses and addiction.
The advertising ban on online gambling in the Netherlands came into effect on July 1, 2023, restricting untargeted advertising across various media, including television, radio, and public spaces. Starting July 1, 2024, sponsorships of television programmes and events were prohibited, marking the first stage of the phase-out. An exception was made for existing sponsorship deals signed before this date. These agreements were allowed to continue temporarily to honour contractual obligations.
Websites such as BetFair, PokerStars, and Unibet all decided to shut down their operations ahead of regulation. The official decision confirming the Act’s implementation was eventually published in the government gazette, clarifying that April 1, 2021, would be the date when the Dutch online gambling market would be regulated. On that day, interested operators began submitting their license applications to the Ksa. By the end of April, the gambling regulator had received 29 applications — far fewer than the initially anticipated 90. Special Note on Online Scratch CardsAlthough online scratch cards are prohibited in the Netherlands, an equivalent type of game, known as “click & reveal” games, exists within the legal market.
The number of players participating in http://kaasinocasino-nl.nl online scratch cards would be comparable to those playing online casino games like blackjack, roulette, and game shows. Physical scratch cards bought via the Dutch Lottery’s website are not included in the “online scratch card” category. Operators that have refrained themselves from targeting Dutch players in the last few years won’t be affected by this cooling-off period and are free to go ahead and apply for a Dutch licence. With the acceptance of new legal operators, the Dutch government wants to encourage consumers to play at legalised online casinos in Holland emphasising the importance of secure gambling, official licences, and responsible playing. The Kansspelautoriteit is an independent governance body and the official regulator of all casino games in the Netherlands, both online and offline.
There are a few online casinos that have made a very solid impression so far. Holland Casino offers a lot of bonuses and launched an outstanding website and BetCity has turned out to be a popular website among players as well. TOTO came up with an excellent platform too and even offers its exclusive branded slot game.
The cooling-off period basically meant that operators breaching the rules discussed above were going to be submitted to a cooling-off period of 24 months. During this period they wouldn’t be allowed to apply for a Dutch licence as a response to their violations. In October and November the first big operators announced that they were going to apply for a Dutch licence and hope to return to The Netherlands www.dobrenoviny.sk in Q2 and Q3 of 2022.
The Dutch gambling regulator was funded through gaming levies and the prevention of illegal gambling among Dutch players has been one of the main responsibilities ever since it was launched. The most popular online casino games in the Netherlands are the lotto (67%), sports betting (23%), live sports betting (14%), scratch cards (13%) and slots (12%). Check out the full list of the 10 most popular casino games in the Netherlands on Casino.nl. After a more than 24 hour delay the first legal online casinos opened their virtual doors on the 2nd of October 2021. TOTO, GGPoker, BetCity were the first three operators that launched their website, after which casinos such as Holland Casino, and Kansino (formerly known as Batavia Casino) followed with their sites.

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