Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has called out TOTO Online for its use of role models in advertising as part of a World Cup marketing campaign on social media, but the operator initially thought the ads were compliant until the regulator’s intervention.
The KSA’s criticism comes as the Dutch government considers an outright ban on gambling advertising and bonuses in the Netherlands iGaming market, as well as strong rumours surrounding plans to increase the minimum gambling age.
A release from the KSA noted that TOTO Online ‘promoted via the social media channels of eight professional football clubs that people could win a club shirt signed by players if they placed a bet of five euros at TOTO Online’.
The regulator viewed this as using role models for promotional purposes, which is not permitted, since former professional footballers were being used in advertising.
The KSA said in a statement: “It was precisely the involvement of these players that made the campaign attractive to supporters. Consequently, the teams were indirectly used to promote online gambling, and the ban on role models was violated.”
Nederlandse Loterij, the parent company of TOTO Online, has told iGaming Expert that it initially believed its campaign was compliant since no role models were visible and no players were mentioned, but following conversations with the KSA, it took the regulator’s perspective on the matter.
“After receiving further explanation of the Kansspelautoriteit, we follow its perspective and will adjust our policy accordingly.”
TOTO Online spokesperson
A TOTO Online spokesperson said: “The Kansspelautoriteit has addressed TOTO regarding a violation of the prohibition on the use of role models in advertising. TOTO offered participants the chance to win a signed football shirt from a football club when placing a bet of five euros.
“No role models were visible in the promotional materials for this campaign, no players’ names were mentioned, and no authentic signatures or signatures traceable to specific players were used. The signatures shown were illustrations and therefore fictitious.
“TOTO was therefore of the opinion that this campaign did not violate the prohibition of using role models in advertising. However, through additional clarification, the Kansspelautoriteit has indicated that this campaign may still fall within the scope of the role model prohibition, even without the use of a name, image, or any other direct reference to a specific individual.
“This interpretation differs from our previous interpretation. After receiving further explanation of the Kansspelautoriteit, we follow its perspective and will adjust our policy accordingly.”
World Cup and outright bans
Scrutiny of marketing campaigns is being intensified by the KSA amid the World Cup, as the regulator recognises that the interest in sports betting grows in tandem with the tournament.
Ella Seijsener, Director of Licensing & Supervision at the KSA, stated: “Around major sporting events, the temptation to gamble on sports matches increases. We see that more money is being wagered and that young adults in particular underestimate the dangers.
“That is why we are maintaining extra oversight of compliance with advertising regulations, especially during this period.”
However, the criticism against TOTO Online’s advertising also comes amidst the prospect of online gambling advertising and bonuses being banned outright in the Dutch market. The government labelled the intervention as essential, given that the number of people who have started gambling since the legalisation of the online gambling market has increased significantly.
Plans to increase the minimum gambling age are also being strongly rumoured, as well as formulating an overarching deposit limit for online gambling.
State Secretary Claudia van Bruggen said: “I find it particularly concerning that more and more people, and especially young people, have started gambling online and are getting into trouble as a result. It is high time to reverse this trend.
“With the proposed measures, I am taking an important step to better protect people against the negative effects of gambling, such as addiction and debt. Special attention is being paid to young people and young adults because they are particularly vulnerable to the risks of gambling.”
Seijsener recently detailed at the Gaming in Holland conference the KSA’s vocal opposition to the total ban on advertising by online providers and was also critical of the plan to limit the number of online licenses.
Previous issues
This is also the second time in 2026 that TOTO Online has found itself being scrutinised by the Dutch regulator.
Back in January, the KSA stated that an investigation into TOTO Online operations – TOTO and Winnitt – discovered violations of the Netherlands’ Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (Prevention) Act (Wwft).
In response, Nederlandse Loterij said in a statement that it wants to work with the KSA to combat money laundering and has worked with the regulator to improve its operations, a position that was echoed by the KSA.
The operator will also improve its customer due diligence by reassessing player files and making further changes where required.
