Dutch Gaming Authority Reinforces Focus on Player Safety
The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has been actively shaping the gambling landscape in the Netherlands, implementing new regulations and policies aimed at ensuring player safety and combating illegal activities.
In 2024, the KSA established an Online Duty of Care Team to inform players of the risks associated with gambling. The authority also introduced a new responsible gaming policy, which includes deposit limits to protect players. Furthermore, the KSA took steps to prevent Dutch influencers and media outlets from promoting illegal gambling products.
However, the KSA's approach to regulation has had certain adverse effects on the Dutch gaming market. The regulatory tightening and tax increase have driven players away from the legal market and into the black market. According to an analysis by Quality Mark for Responsible Affiliates (KVA), traffic to the black market has spiked since the introduction of deposit limits in October 2024.
Illegal operators now attract players with better payouts and bigger bonuses, undermining player protection goals and the integrity of the regulated environment. The KSA leadership has expressed concern that the financial strain on legal operators reduces their ability to provide a safe and responsible gaming environment, weakening the overall market stability.
In response, the Dutch regulator has simultaneously intensified enforcement actions against illegal activities. In 2024, the KSA intensified its regulatory action against black market companies. This includes seizures of affiliate domains promoting illicit casinos and imposing financial penalties on unlawful operators, signaling a zero-tolerance stance toward black market promotion and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) compliance gaps.
The KSA will continue to seek advertising reforms that reinforce the measures against the promotion of illegal gambling products. In 2025, a new team will be focused on preventing addiction among consumers, comprised of experienced professionals.
The legal gaming market experienced growth of just 4.9% in 2024, significantly lower than the 28.9% growth in 2023. Browser searches for "casino without Cruks" or "casino without limits" have skyrocketed from 172,576 in October 2024 to 1,009,589 in March 2025, as per the KVA.
In its strategy for 2024-2028, the KSA has resolved to give players a more central role and introduce new policies to protect them. The authority is recognizing the black market as a more dangerous opponent than originally anticipated, causing the growth of legal gaming to slow down.
Sources:
- KSA intensifies regulatory action against black market companies
- Traffic to the black market spikes since deposit limits introduction
- Financial strain on legal operators weakens market stability
- Enforcement actions against illegal activities
- Decline in legal gambling revenue due to tax hike
- The Dutch Gaming Authority prioritizes player safety
- Browser searches for "casino without Cruks" or "casino without limits"
- The surge in browser searches for "casino without Cruks" or "casino without limits" suggests that players are seeking alternatives in the unregulated casino-and-gambling market, possibly due to the new deposit limits and the perceived better payouts offered by these casinos.
- Despite the KSA's efforts to combat illegal sports-betting activities, the financial strain on legal operators has led some to question the effectiveness of the current casino-culture regulations, as the black market operators persist in attracting players and undermining player protection goals.
- In an effort to address the challenges posed by the expanding casino-games black market, the KSA is establishing a new team in 2025 to prevent addiction among consumers, recognizing the need for greater focus on casino-personalities and the culture surrounding gambling in the Netherlands.
