‘Illegal sites put players in danger’ – Arno Rutte sounds the alarm
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15 Jan 2026 •
Reading time: 3 minutes The legal gambling market is under pressure, while the illegal one is growing. Dutch State Secretary Arno Rutte is worried. Heavy gamblers, in particular, are seeking refuge outside the licensed offer.
In answers to Parliamentary questions, he speaks of a serious threat to the Dutch gambling policy.
Strict rules push players to the black market
According to Rutte, regulation within the legal market is working partly as intended: players are losing less on average, and the number of interventions is increasing. But those same measures are also causing some players to drop out. Play limits, stricter checks, and higher taxes make legal gambling less attractive to them.
A part of that group is moving to illegal providers, where rules barely exist. And that is exactly what Rutte wants to prevent.
The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch counterpart of the Belgian Gambling Commission, sees that only a small percentage of players are active with unlicensed parties, but that they lose large amounts there. The risks of addiction, fraud, and abuse are many times higher there.
Enforcement is lagging behind
The problem is not just that players are moving away, but also that the government has too few resources to effectively tackle illegal gambling sites. Foreign parties, in particular, are difficult to stop. The Ksa has hardly any legal options to take sites offline.
Websites with .nl domains can be disconnected via SIDN under certain conditions. But for foreign sites, that is virtually impossible without extra legislation.
That is why Rutte is working on a bill that should give the Kansspelautoriteit more power. The goal is for the regulator to be able to block illegal supply within one day. He expects to present the first outlines of that plan this quarter.
Young people and problem players extra vulnerable
The concerns go beyond just money. The State Secretary also points to the accessibility of illegal gambling sites for young people. Age verification is often missing. Young people and vulnerable groups can gamble there without barriers.
He also warns against stealth marketing via search terms like “best casino without Cruks” and the repurposing of old domains into illegal gambling pages. The Ksa is therefore focusing not only on providers themselves but also on marketing companies, payment providers, and hosting services.
According to Rutte, it is time for a broad approach: less room for illegal providers, better protection within the legal offer, and cooperation with other countries. Only then will the Dutch gambling policy remain standing.
What about Belgium?
Illegal gambling sites continue to challenge Belgium, but the country is now taking major steps in tackling them.
The government is opting for so-called dynamic injunctions: court orders that are not only aimed at one website but can also automatically block new variants. In 2025, this resulted in 753 blocked URLs. A record, and a signal that the battle is far from over.