Holland Casino and the Dutch Lottery, TOTO Online, known for the Staatslotterij and Lotto, received permits from the Netherlands Gaming Authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) to legally offer online gambling from October 1st, 2021. Also awarded permits are FPO Nederland, NSUS Malta, Play North, Tombola, Hillside (New Media Malta), Bingoal Nederland, Betent, and LiveScore Malta. Until now, it has been illegal to offer online games of chance in the Netherlands. Earlier this year, 29 companies submitted license applications to the regulator. The 10 chosen providers must comply with strict conditions regarding supervision and regulations in order to limit the risk of gambling addiction. Money laundering must also be prevented. The providers will also pay gambling tax. It is estimated that approximately 1.5m people actively gamble online in the Netherlands, producing a market with an estimated value of market has an estimated value of €800m. This includes sports betting, poker, roulette, blackjack and slot machines.
The KSA will also publish a Gaming Guide, allowing players in the country to check whether a provider has a license to offer online gaming in the country, and with which websites or apps. Back in July, they outlined policy rules for a central player exclusion register called Cruks (Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen), where gamblers can be included voluntarily or involuntarily by third parties to tackle addiction. From October 1st, all operators must connect to Cruks and check whether there is a registration there before a player starts to play, and if this is the case, that player should be denied access to the game.
