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 emefka.sk gambling operators.
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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.
BetCity
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 http://kaasinocasino-nl.nl 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.
Since June 30, 2022, Dutch and international celebrities are no longer allowed to appear in gambling adverts by Dutch gambling brands. The ban on role models applies to all ads for high risk games of chance including land-based casinos, sports betting, and online gambling. The ban covers all major mainstream channels such as TV, online ads, outdoor media, and newspaper ads. One of the main reasons to regulate the market was to actually offer consumer protection and avoid illegal operators targeting Dutch players. When the plans for regulation became more concrete, the Gaming Authority was given full control to take action against online casinos and other betting sites that actively targeted Dutch players. Following the announcements of the KSA on the 29th of September that all illegal online casinos will need to be shut down in November 2021, a lot of international operators decided to close down their activities on the Dutch market.
- An exception was made for existing sponsorship deals signed before this date.
- Recent data by Ipsos I&O shows that 65% of the Dutch population aged 16 and older participated in at least one gambling activity within the 12 months.
- A play limit of €700 per operator has been set (€350 for players aged 18 to 24) to prevent significant losses and addiction.
- 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.
- In addition to the Decree, the Dutch minister for Legal Protection, Sander Dekker also published two letters in which he addressed questions that were raised in previous parliamentary debates, including a cooling-off period.
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.
Crash Games
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.
Operators are also required to actively monitor player behaviour and intervene when necessary to ensure compliance and safeguard players’ well-being. Tombola ceased its operations in The Netherlands on October 1, 2024, becoming the first operator to exit the Dutch market. As of October 2024, GfK and H2 Capital (PDF) states the market’s current channelisation rate is between 87% and 95%, well above the 80% target set in 2021.
Recent data by Ipsos I&O shows that 65% of the Dutch population aged 16 and older participated in at least one gambling activity within the 12 months. Excluding lottery participation, 34% of the population engaged in gambling over the past year. The survey also differentiated between gambling at physical locations and online. In addition to the Decree, the Dutch minister for Legal Protection, Sander Dekker also published two letters in which he addressed questions that were raised in previous parliamentary debates, including a cooling-off period.