Debt restructuring: Cruks proves decisive in court ruling 

Julien D.

• 1 Nov 2026 • Reading time: 3 minutes

In the Netherlands, the Rotterdam District Court has allowed a woman to enter a statutory debt restructuring procedure despite gambling-related transactions appearing on her bank account. Her partner’s registration with the national gambling exclusion register and the financial protection measures put in place played an important role in the ruling issued on October 28, 2026. 

A second chance despite €1,444 spent at online casinos 

A woman who had been declared bankrupt on November 4, 2025, requested that her bankruptcy be converted into a statutory debt restructuring procedure. However, several aspects of her case threatened to jeopardise her application. 

The bankruptcy trustee had identified transactions totalling €1,444 at online casinos, made through her bank account. According to the trustee’s findings, the money had been gambled by the applicant’s partner. 

Although she had not personally placed the bets, the trustee argued that she should have been aware of the transactions because they had been processed through her own account. 

Gambling-related spending was not the only issue raised in the case. The woman also owed money to the Dutch tax authorities and lacked adequate accounting records to properly document her financial situation. 

These circumstances would normally have justified refusing her admission to the statutory debt restructuring scheme, known in the Netherlands as the Wsnp. 

The court acknowledged that several factors initially weighed against the applicant. Nevertheless, it decided to examine whether the causes of her financial difficulties had since been sufficiently brought under control. 

Cruks becomes a decisive factor 

One important factor concerned her partner, who had since registered with the Dutch Central Register of Exclusion from Gambling, known as Cruks. 

This system, similar to Belgium’s EPIS register, aims to prevent registered individuals from accessing the gambling establishments and platforms covered by the scheme. The man had also stated that he would no longer gamble. 

For the court, his registration provided concrete evidence of the changes that had taken place since the couple experienced financial difficulties. 

However, the gambling exclusion was not considered in isolation. The judges also took into account the fact that both partners had been placed under a financial guardianship arrangement. 

This measure provides oversight of their financial management and was among the safeguards considered by the court. 

Why did the court grant an exception? 

To authorise the procedure, the Rotterdam District Court relied on a legal exception allowing special circumstances to be taken into account. 

Rather than focusing solely on past irregularities, the judges assessed the changes that had occurred in the couple’s circumstances. 

The partner’s registration with Cruks, his commitment to stop gambling and the financial protection arrangements established for both partners helped convince the court that the causes of their difficulties were now sufficiently under control. 

The court therefore concluded that it could trust the applicant to comply with the obligations imposed under the debt restructuring procedure. 

The procedure was consequently authorised from October 28, 2026, for a period of eighteen months.