The well-known Dutch entrepreneur Alexander Klöpping cheerfully told in a podcast how he won €8,000 by betting on the elections via Polymarket.
On 4 December 2025, the Dutch online gambling regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), brought together the main online betting and casino operators for a round table discussion focused on the proper application of due diligence, their responsibility towards player protection.
In 2025, the Dutch gambling regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit(Ksa), seems to have reached a turning point in its fight against illegal online casinos. After a period of sanctions deemed ‘modest’, the resumption of turnover estimates suggests that much more dissuasive fines are on the horizon.
With nearly €2 million allocated to a new national early detection network, the Netherlands aims to identify problem gamblers earlier and prevent addiction from developing in secret. The SVSG initiative marks a major turning point in the fight against gambling addiction and paves the way for a more structured, humane and effective approach.
A former employee of the Valkenburgcasino had his claim for €230,000 rejected by the courts. He was seeking this amount for the psychological trauma he allegedly suffered following an armed hostage-taking at the casino in 2014, which he believed was exacerbated by his former employer’s lack of support.
A wave of uncertainty is sweeping through the world of online gambling in the Netherlands. Players who gambled — and lost — before online gambling was legalised are seeking to recover their losses. But the outcome of these claims now depends on arbitration at the highest level of the Dutch justice system.
For years, Unibet has dominated the online gaming market in the Netherlands. But the road to 2027 is shaping up to be a tricky one. Several court rulings, record penalties and accusations of serious breaches of player protection are weighing heavily on the future of the betting giant. Will Unibet really be able to keep its licence in 2027?
According to a new study commissioned by VNLOK, the Dutch association of licensed online gambling operators, almost all ads seen on Facebook and Instagram do not comply with the law. In October 2025, 95.5% of gambling ads seen by users in the Netherlands targeted unlicensed casinos – a wake-up call for the regulation of online gambling.
NOGA is now winding down its activities. The organisation that defended the interests of licensed online gaming operators has seen its members integrated into VNLOK, giving rise to a single industry representative. Here is a look at the issues, reasons and consequences of this historic decision.
The hopes of thousands of Dutch players of recovering their online losses are fading: the Advocate General of the Hoge Raad has just issued an unfavourable opinion on the validity of claims to cancel gambling contracts and claim refunds. In future, case law could well close the door on these massive claims once and for all.
Every year, millions of euros go unclaimed for lack of an identified winner. But this time, the story took a spectacular turn in the Netherlands: to find the holder of a ticket worth €1 million, the Staatsloterij chose a method that was, to say the least, unexpected: a publicity plane.
In 2024, land-based casinos and gaming halls in the Netherlands had a difficult year. According to Marktscan 2025 from the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gaming authority, the physical sector continues to decline despite stabilization in the overall market.
Since online gambling was legalized in the Netherlands, the need to analyze player behavior in detail has never been more pressing. However, according to a study commissioned by the WODC (Netherlands Organization for Legal Research), access to individual data remains extremely limited. This obstacle not only hinders research into addiction prevention, but also complicates the evaluation of public policy.
A new research project, called ESPRIT, has been launched to better understand and prevent gambling-related harm among people with mild intellectual disabilities. This programme could transform the way in which professionals and family members detect risks in a context where this population often remains invisible.
As Parliament prepares to examine in detail the next tax bill, expected in 2026, one measure is already provoking heated debate: the planned sharp rise in gambling tax. The centrist D66 party is calling for an immediate freeze, arguing that the increase could be counterproductive, costly and dangerous for gamblers.
The US platform Polymarket is once again under the magnifying glass. After earlier media criticism, the CDA in the Lower House has now also sounded the alarm. MP Derk Boswijk put 14 questions to State Secretary Arno Rutte of Justice and Security.
The increase in gambling tax in the Netherlands was intended to boost government revenue. However, as the tax rate rises, warning signs are multiplying: a decline in expected revenues, increased pressure on operators and players turning to illegal gambling.
