Key Points
- Companies such as Fair Play Online, TOTO Online, Kansino, Holland Casino Online, and Bingoal have successfully obtained new licences for five years, commencing on 1 October 2026, up until 2031.
- Bet365, BetCity, and GGPoker obtained licences which expired on 30 September 2026; however, they had not officially received confirmation on their renewal status as of writing.
- The KSA’s own monitoring data shows 53% of all Dutch online gambling spend is now going to unlicensed platforms, as the combined tax and levy burden on licensed operators approaches 40% of GGR.
Five Down, Three Unresolved as the Dutch Licence Clock Runs Out
Five online gambling providers have received fresh five-year licences to operate in the Netherlands, which is the first renewal process for the country since it introduced regulation for the sector from 1 October 2021. Fair Play Online, TOTO Online, Kansino, Holland Casino Online, and Bingoal have received the news of approval of the licences by Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) and the licences will come into effect from 1 October 2026.
The confirmations arrived in the first week of August. Fair Play Online announced first, on 4 August, when FPO Nederland’s responsible gambling manager Peter Vreuls posted on LinkedIn that the company had been granted a new permit. Kansino confirmed on 5 August. Holland Casino Online and Bingoal both announced on 6 August, the same day the KSA formally disclosed their approvals. TOTO Online, operated by Nederlandse Loterij, confirmed its renewal on 5 August.
There are three operators in the original list that have not made any announcement yet. However, the licenses of Bet365, BetCity, and GGPoker remain valid till 30 September 2026, even though they have not revealed any information about their decision as of this writing. The public list of the licences maintained by KSA is unable to provide any information on this matter because it continues to list the same original terms from 2021 to 2026 for all eight initial licensees, regardless of their announcements of renewal.
The Scope Difference Most Reports Missed
The five renewed licences are not identical in what they permit. Fair Play and Kansino hold casino-only authorisations. TOTO Online and Holland Casino are licensed for both casino games and online sports betting. Bingoal is the only operator among the five cleared to operate across all four remote gambling categories, which include casino games, sports betting, poker, and bingo.
That distinction matters when looking at the three operators yet to confirm. Bet365, operating through Hillside (New Media Malta) PLC, holds the broadest licence among the original eight, covering all four remote categories alongside Bingoal. GGPoker, licensed through NSUS Malta Limited, is authorised only for poker and casino games, with no sports betting component.
What Renewal Now Demands?
Dutch remote gambling licences cannot be extended. Each operator must file a completely fresh application and go through full regulatory reassessment. Under the Remote Gambling Policy Rules 2026, which took effect on 1 January 2026, the requirements are materially stricter than those operators faced when they first applied in 2021.
Every renewal applicant must submit a written exit plan, detailing how it would close Dutch operations and return player funds if the KSA refuses or revokes the licence. The application also requires a risk assessment under Dutch anti-money laundering legislation, disclosure of all regulatory breaches from the previous five years, and evidence of remedial steps taken. The KSA has confirmed that an operator’s compliance record during its first licence term carries weight in the renewal decision.
Petra de Ruiter’s Warning Is Not Just Corporate Formality
Holland Casino chief executive Petra de Ruiter welcomed the renewal in terms that cut straight to the market’s central tension. She stated: “We will continue to commit to a safe and responsible online offering, where player protection always comes first. At the same time, it remains essential that the regulated market is attractive enough to keep players away from unregulated providers, where supervision and protection are lacking.”
There are figures to back up the reason for that concern. The gambling tax has risen from 30.5% of GGR to 34.2% in January 2025 and to 37.8% in January 2026, with an additional tax of 1.95% imposed. According to Holland Casino, the 34.2% tax rate alone resulted in additional expenses of €13.5 million in the first six months of 2025. The Ministry of Finance estimated the total annual increase due to the tax package at €200 million in 2025 through 2028. The KSA’s own monitoring report from spring 2026 showed a decrease in the tax yield from the licensed market.
53% of Dutch Online Gambling Spend Is Going Offshore
The numbers from the KSA’s monitoring data frame every conversation about this market. According to the regulator, 53% of all money wagered online in the Netherlands flows to unlicensed platforms, even though around 91% to 94% of Dutch online gamblers use licensed operators. The gap between player count and money volume reflects heavy spending concentrated on illegal sites, which accept cryptocurrency and anonymous payments that licensed operators are prohibited from offering.
The KSA has pushed back hard on illegal operators. In March 2026, it issued its largest fine on record: €24.8 million against Novatech for running Qbet.com and 55Bet.com without a Dutch licence. KSA board chairman Michel Groothuizen stated the penalty would have exceeded €100 million had Dutch law not capped fines at 10% of global turnover. Nederlandse Loterij followed with a civil claim against Qbet’s operators at the District Court of The Hague.
Still, two of the original ten operators never reached this renewal window. Flutter’s Tombola exited in 2024. LiveScore Group ceased Dutch operations on 29 November 2024, with the KSA revoking the licence on 23 December. LiveScore CEO Sam Sadi said at the time: “Unfortunately, the planned tax increase means that this market is no longer viable commercially.”
Advertising: From Role Model Ban to a Near-Total Prohibition
Operators returning for a second licence period face a promotional environment that has tightened every year since 2021. A ban on using role models in gambling advertising came into force in May 2022. Untargeted advertising across television, radio, print, and social media was prohibited from 1 July 2023. Sports sponsorship by betting companies was banned from 1 July 2025.
On 6 August, the same day it announced Holland Casino’s and Bingoal’s renewals, the KSA publicly flagged Betcity and TOTO Winkel for breaching the role model ban in World Cup-related advertising. Betcity had displayed betting options beside national team shirts carrying the names and squad numbers of Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise; no photographs were used, but the regulator found the combination created a clear personal association. TOTO Winkel ran a supermarket advertisement referencing Mbappé’s squad number next to a shirt. Both operators removed the material immediately, and no formal sanction was issued.
The Dutch government has since moved further still, introducing a proposal in June 2026 for a near-total ban on all online gambling advertising, alongside plans to end sign-up bonuses and introduce an overarching deposit limit.
What Happens After October?
Jacks.nl must complete renewal by 20 November 2026. FDJ United’s Unibet has until 8 June 2027, having entered the Dutch market a year after launch due to the mandatory cooling-off period that applied to former grey-market operators. OneCasino’s permit runs until 5 October 2027. The Dutch parliament is separately studying a cap on the total number of remote gambling licences it will issue.
Expert Analysis
The five approvals confirm the KSA is processing renewals on schedule, but the economics remain under real strain. Licensed operators generate around €100 million per month in gross gaming yield, according to the KSA’s spring 2026 monitoring report, while carrying a tax and levy burden approaching 40% of GGR. The black market absorbing 53% of online spend by value is not a problem enforcement alone can solve; it reflects a licensed market where high taxes and tightening restrictions are steadily reducing the regulated sector’s competitive position. If the proposed advertising ban passes in its current form, further exits before the next renewal cycle look more likely than not.
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