Gambling Laws in the Netherlands

The Betting and Gaming Act from 1964 (Wet op de Kansspelen 1964) is the legal act which makes almost all sorts of land-based gambling legal in the Netherlands. This act has been supported during the years with many other legal documents that also regulate the activities on the online gambling market, the use of slot machines as well as the advertising of gambling content. In 2019, the Senate has finally passed the new Remote Gaming Act legalizing online gambling in the Netherlands, after the same had been approved by the House of Representatives 2 years before. This way, the state monopoly Holland Casino will also disappear, as the plans are to privatize it.   The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing the Netherlands’ land-based and online gambling. This is also the body which grants licenses to land-based operators and will grant licenses in the future to online companies according to the Dutch gambling laws, that are to be enforced in 2021. Moreover, the KSA is also responsible for shutting down and block illegal gambling operations.  

Is Online Gambling Legal in the Netherlands? Yes. In 2019, a new Remote Gaming Act was approved by the Senate, liberalizing the market to many forms of online gambling.

Online Casinos in the Netherlands

There are currently 14 land-based casinos in the country, operated by Holland Casino. However, as of 2019, it is known that not only will online casinos in the Netherlands become legal, as there will be private companies taking over the state monopoly. Once the Remote Gaming Act is enforced, a licensing system will be implemented, which will bring protection to Dutch gamblers.

Online Poker in the Netherlands

Although there are no specific Dutch online poker laws, the general prohibition on online gambling until now, made it illegal for Dutch gamblers to play on online poker sites. However, and despite the fact that the KSA used to actively block operators targeting players, Dutch were able to access offshore sites. This is why the new legislation is also seeing the light of the day, as online poker news sites report that illegal gambling has increased by 20%.

Online Lottery in the Netherlands

Nederlandse Loterij, run by the Foundation for Exploitation of the Dutch State Lottery (SENS), and De Lotto are the only legal online lottery sites in the Netherlands. SENS was formed almost three centuries ago, in 1726 (as Generaliteitsloterij), and is currently operating the Staatsloterij site. Miljoenenspel, Eurojackpot, Lucky Day, Krasloten, are just some of the lotto games that are available for playing online on the moderately rich online lotto platform, run by the state lottery. However, under the new Dutch online lotto laws, gamblers will have access to a wide variety of lotteries.

Online Bingo in the Netherlands

Bingo in the Netherlands can be offered only as a small scale gambling, by organizations whose aim is not profiting from the revenue of games of chance. Furthermore, gamblers are also able to play bingo in some of the Holland Casino’s establishments. Although there are no specific online bingo laws in the Netherlands, the situation with the legal status of this gambling game is not much different than that of the others. Due to the illegal status of online gambling in general, there are no sites offering online bingo in the Netherlands. But this is about to change soon, as the Remote Gaming Act allows the organization of online bingo games for which special licenses will have to be acquired by the potential operators from the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).

Online Sports betting in the Netherlands

The sports betting market in the Netherlands is also a state monopoly. It is operated by the Nederlandse Loterij which offers Toto, the only legal online sportsbook site in the Netherlands. This has led to a lack of market competition. Yet, the offer coming from the Toto site has a considerable quality, providing several betting opportunities for Dutch sports betting fans. However, the Remote Gaming Act will enable international bookmakers to operate in the country as well.  

Online DFS in the Netherlands

Online DFS sites in the Netherlands do not have a legally regulated status. There is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game, but considering the legality of online sports betting in the country, it is very probable that internet Daily Fantasy Sports would soon receive legal status in the Netherlands, especially with the enforcement of the Remote Gaming Act in 2021.