On Monday morning, many players in the Netherlands faced login issues while trying to access legal online casinos. The disruption was caused by scheduled maintenance at the Central Register for Exclusion from Gambling between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM.

During this window, several gambling platforms showed error messages. Some users were incorrectly informed that they were registered in Cruks without owning accounts. Some others had their accounts temporarily blocked without explanation.

Error Messages Across Multiple Platforms

The maintenance affected several legal operators in the country. Players reported being locked out of BetCity, Unibet, and Fair Play Online. Each platform showed slightly different error messages:

At BetCity, users saw: “Login denied. Your account has been blocked.”

At Unibet: “Your account is currently unavailable due to your CRUKS exclusion. If you have a balance available on your account, please contact us.”

At Fair Play Online: “We are currently experiencing technical difficulties logging in. Please contact Customer Service if this continues.” 

On the other hand, platforms like TOTO and bet365 remained operational during the maintenance. Players on those sites were able to log in and place bets without disruptions.

KSA Confirms Scheduled Maintenance

The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) confirmed the scheduled maintenance and said it had been communicated in advance. By 9:17 AM, most of the issues were resolved, and access to legal gambling websites returned to normal.

Cruks is a national register allowing individuals to exclude themselves from gambling. Legal operators in the Netherlands are required to check this database before users can log in or play. When Cruks goes offline, it impacts how operators verify player eligibility. Monday’s incident highlighted how dependent the system is on real-time access to Cruks.

Previous Incidents Raise Concern

There have been other technical issues in legal gambling in the Netherlands. Earlier this year, a DDoS attack on Cruks caused a complete outage during a Champions League match day. This left players unable to place bets across licensed platforms.

Another DDoS attack hit DigiD, the Dutch government’s identity system blocking people from accessing Cruks. 

While Monday’s problems were minor compared to previous events, they sparked frustration among players. Some worried they had been mistakenly registered in Cruks, while others feared their accounts had been hacked.

The KSA has not reported further issues since the maintenance was completed. Operators have advised players who encounter problems to contact customer support.