The legal gambling sector once again sounded the alarm. During the Gaming in Holland Conference in May 2025, it became clear how serious the situation is. Political parties previously called for additional supervision.
That call led to a motion by VVD MP Rosemarijn Dral. The Chamber supported that motion with an overwhelming majority. The result was the creation of an alliance against illegal online gambling.
Illegal affiliates conquer Google faster than ever
The battle is playing out mainly in search engines such as Google. There, illegal affiliates are gaining more and more ground. The search term “Online Casino Netherlands” was long dominated by legal parties. Yet recently an illegal affiliate appeared at the top of the results. That shows how fast the situation is deteriorating.
One example is Esports Insider. This site has a section for online gambling in the Netherlands. The promotion targets illegal providers. Those who click further will see that it does not cover legal providers. Yet this site ranks high in Google.
Kansspelautoriteit loses on SEO to illegal websites
The Kansspelautoriteit has a domain score of 38 and reaches about 19,000 visitors a month via Google. Esports Insider, on the other hand, has a domain score of 58, and the site gets more than 1.5 million visitors a month. Even the biggest legal affiliates in the Netherlands cannot compete. CasinoNieuws.nl and MeneerCasino.com score much lower.
The influence of money plays a big role here. A spot on a domain like Esports Insider costs millions. That amount pays for those who promote illegal casinos. The risks are accepted because of the high returns.
Illegal affiliates use technical tricks and high commissions
Illegal websites use techniques such as cloaking and redirects. As a result, Google sees different content than the visitor. These affiliates operate outside the EU and are difficult to tackle. Their marketing budgets are much bigger than those of legal players.
The commissions do not lie. For one new player, illegal casinos sometimes pay €2,500. In the legal market, that amount is between €30 and €70. That difference is huge and attracts more and more rogue players.
Legal affiliates fight against the tide
Yet there are still legal parties fighting against this competition. They operate with lower fees, but consciously choose the legal path. They place responsibility and compliance above quick profits. These parties keep legal offerings visible to the public.
Their role is crucial. Without them, search results would consist mostly of illegal links. That would seriously undermine consumer protection.
The government should recognise legal marketing channels more
Surveillance alone is not enough. International cooperation is important, but local support also helps. It is important to give legal affiliates more recognition. They are the only bulwark against the dominance of illegal SEO tactics.Their presence is not optional. They are indispensable for maintaining transparency and security for the Dutch player.