On 12 August 2025, the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gambling regulator, issued a stern warning to TonyBet. The reason? The operator, despite holding a licence in the Netherlands, offered its customers bets that are considered illegal under Dutch law.
At issue were two very specific betting options. Bettors could wager on the future winner of France Football’s prestigious Ballon d’Or and on the winner of the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball. Two iconic awards… but prohibited under Dutch sports betting law.
Why are these bets prohibited?
In the Netherlands, licensed operators may only offer sports betting if certain strict conditions are met. Events must correspond to objective and measurable performances taking place in official competitions recognised by national or international sporting bodies.
However, the Ballon d’Or and the Club World Cup Best Player Award are not determined by a score or match statistics, but by a vote or a jury. It is precisely this subjective nature that excludes them from the scope of authorised betting.
TonyBet’s response
According to the KSA, no bets had yet been placed on these two options when it contacted TonyBet. The operator acknowledged the problem and promised to exercise greater vigilance over its betting catalogue, which is provided by a third-party platform. It says it wants to cooperate fully with the KSA and avoid any future incidents.
In this specific case, the KSA has decided not to impose a fine or any other severe penalty. The case therefore ended with a formal warning. However, the authority reiterated that operators are fully responsible for the content of their offers, even when these are generated by an external service provider.
In the event of a repeat offence or the discovery of an illegal bet that has actually been placed, the consequences could be much more severe.
A reminder of legal obligations
Dutch regulations require that all bets offered can be objectively verified and are linked to purely sporting performance: a goal, a time, an official ranking.
Subjective distinctions (such as honorary titles, journalists’ votes or individual awards) are banned to avoid speculation that is difficult to control.
Operators must also spontaneously report any incident or prohibited offer to the Ksa, even if no player has yet placed a bet on it.