The Ksa chairman presents his plan for 2026

Alex

• 20 Jan 2026 • Reading time: 5 minutes

At the Annual Gaming Industry Event in Amsterdam on 16 January 2026, Michel Groothuizen, chairman of the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), gave a speech in which he presented the Dutch regulator’s new roadmap for the coming year.

‘Putting the player first’: a clear strategy

Groothuizen opened his speech with a clear message: ‘Putting the player first’. Under this slogan, the Ksa is no longer focusing solely on games as products, but above all on the people who play them, those who stop playing, and those who do not yet participate. 

In presenting the main areas of supervision for 2026, Groothuizen emphasised: ‘These themes overlap in several places. If the duty of care is properly complied with, vulnerable players are automatically better protected. And if we want to tighten the reins on advertising, for example, it’s crucial that we take more decisive action against advertising promoting illegal operators.’

Combating illegal operators

The first of the five priority areas addressed is the fight against illegal operators. According to the Ksa chairman, a considerable portion of gross gaming revenue in the country still goes to unlicensed platforms.

‘I understand it’s frustrating that half of the gross revenue associated with gambling in the Netherlands ends up in the pockets of illegal operators. Although you dispute the figure, I’m still proud that around 90% of Dutch gamblers currently use only licensed operators. That’s an estimate, of course, as we can never be certain how many people gamble through illegal operators. But I can confidently say that the percentage is higher than three-quarters of Dutch players, in any case. Our objective for 2026 is to keep it that way.’

To remedy this, several strong measures have been announced:

• Strengthening investigative capabilities, with increased recruitment of specialists dedicated to neutralising unauthorised infrastructure.
• Unprecedented alliances with banks, internet service providers and marketing agencies, with the aim of obtaining unprecedented operational data.
• Expanded international collaboration, with more information sharing between regulators, which Groothuizen describes as a kind of Interpol for gaming.

Protecting vulnerable groups

One of the most striking passages in the speech concerns the protection of vulnerable audiences, particularly minors and young adults. Groothuizen deplores the growing exposure of children to gambling-related content, often via apps or video games without effective age verification.

‘Casino-style games can be downloaded onto mobile devices without age verification. Games increasingly include loot boxes or similar features to keep players engaged or encourage them to spend more money. And TikTok, where children can create an account from the age of thirteen, is inundated with adverts for illegal gambling businesses. We’re seeing an increase in the number of minors visiting gambling sites, both legal and illegal. With illegal operators, it’s often because there is no form of age verification at all. Minors also play through legal operators, often using the account of an older friend or even a parent. In our duty-of-care investigations, we place extra emphasis on protecting young adult players.’

In light of this, the Ksa intends to:

• Raise awareness among parents and provide practical tools for communicating with their children.
• Extend its engagement with operators to better identify and protect against risky behaviour.
• Reiterate and clarify advertising rules in order to minimise exposure of vulnerable groups.

Enhanced duty of care 

Another major component of the 2026 strategy concerns the duty of care imposed on legal operators. The Ksa notes that the latest rules introduced, including credit checks and deposit limits, are beginning to have a measurable impact.

However, Groothuizen believes that this is only the beginning:

• Operators will need to step up their monitoring of player behaviour.
• The Ksa will publish guidelines on the use of AI and automated tools to ensure that these technologies truly serve the purpose of prevention, and not just commercial efficiency.

Advertising and social responsibility

When it comes to advertising, Groothuizen takes a firm stance. While he understands that operators need to promote their services, he rejects any form of advertising that crosses ethical lines or exposes vulnerable audiences.

The regulator does not support a total ban on advertising, but calls for strict enforcement of existing rules and responsible self-censorship on the part of advertisers. He points out that some advertising content could appear on platforms popular with young adults, even if technical filters are applied.

‘A good example is the ban on sports sponsorship. I want to applaud the fact that we’ve seen virtually no deliberate circumvention of that ban – unlike, for example, our Belgian neighbours. Even so, we regularly hear from consumers that it can still be hard to distinguish between online and offline gambling when dealing with hybrid operators.’

Anti-money laundering

The Ksa also devotes part of its roadmap to the enforcement of the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act (AMLA). After a year marked by numerous violations and sanctions, Groothuizen warns that this area will remain a priority in 2026.

Internal reorganisation and licence renewal

The speech did not focus solely on supervisory issues. Groothuizen also announced a major internal reorganisation of the Ksa, with new directors to oversee key areas such as player protection, digitalisation and data analysis.

‘We’re addressing all of these topics at the Ksa through a renewed, even more innovative organisation. Since the start of this year, I’ve felt somewhat at a loss without my trusted right hand, Bernadette, who is enjoying her well-deserved retirement. I had an excellent working relationship with her, and I do miss her presence. Even so, I’m pleased to share that we have found two exceptionally strong replacements for our Executive Board.’

Finally, he mentioned the renewal of remote gaming licences, a crucial step as some licences are due to expire this year. This phase will be an opportunity to assess the performance of operators against the protection and compliance objectives set by the Ksa.

Groothuizen’s final message is a call for constructive cooperation between the regulator and legal operators. He wants to ensure that increased regulation does not push players towards the illegal market, while demanding a stronger commitment from operators to comply with established standards and protect vulnerable groups.