Sweeping changes are set to be implemented for Dutch gambling operators as the country’s regulatory framework embarks on further evolution.
A new amendment to the Netherlands’ Remote Gambling Licensing Policy Rules has been introduced by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), significantly altering the way operators are able to exit the market.
Dutch licence holders must now provide a document to the authority covering important changes to their policies and operations, as well as an exit plan detailing how their gaming offerings will be reduced once their licence expires if it is not to be renewed.
The exit plan change follows several operators leaving the Dutch market earlier this year due to significant changes to the country’s tax on gambling, which increased from 30.5% to 34.2% in 2025, and it will rise again to 37.8% in 2026.
The amendments, set to come into force from 1 January 2026, are deemed necessary by the KSA as they will come in time for when licences that were granted in September 2021, ahead of the country’s iGaming market’s launch, are set to expire following their five-year term in October 2026, assisting in the follow-up licence application process.
Reliability check
In addition, changes have been made regarding evaluating an operator’s reliability when considering whether they should be awarded a licence.
The KSA has stated that if an operator applying for a licence in the Netherlands has “not complied with final or provisionally enforceable court rulings at the time of their application, their reliability is not beyond doubt” and that this could constitute “grounds for refusing a license”.
Wwft risk analysis must also now be submitted to the Dutch gambling authority as part of the licence application process.
Regarding licence renewal, licence holders will be reassessed in certain areas as part of their application, including addiction prevention policy as well as recruitment and advertising policy.
A new integration test will take place for the control database component, while licence renewals must also meet the previously stated criteria that apply to all applications.
The KSA stated: “When opening the online market, the legislature deliberately opted to issue permits with a term of (maximum) five years. By using a fixed-term permit, the legislature intended that the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (KSA) would consider supervisory experience gained in each application for a subsequent permit.
“Providers who have made mistakes in the past five years must explain during the application process how they have learned from previous mistakes and how they intend to prevent recurrence. If the KSA finds this explanation insufficient, the permit may be denied or additional conditions and restrictions may be imposed.”
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