On 24 April 2025, the Ksa signed a memorandum of cooperation with 11 other Dutch regulators as part of the DSA. This initiative aims to strengthen the regulation of online platforms, with a particular focus on the fight against illegal gambling. At the same time, a national taskforce has been set up to reduce the visibility of unregulated online casinos. This transnational cooperation hopes to ensure more effective regulation in the face of the rapid growth of online gambling.
24 April 2025 marks a decisive step for digital regulation in the Netherlands. The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gaming regulator, has announced its official participation in the cooperation protocol set up around the Digital Services Act (DSA). Alongside eleven other national regulators, the Ksa is committed to strengthening the exchange of information and cooperation in the application of this ambitious European legislation.
The essence of the Digital Services Act
Adopted by the European Union, the Digital Services Act imposes new obligations on online platforms and digital hosting services. The aim is clear: to make the Internet safer and more responsible. In the Netherlands, the ACM oversees general application, while bodies such as the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens and the Kansspelautoriteit are each involved in their own specific area.
The Kansspelautoriteit, for example, will continue to focus on the regulation of online gambling, while actively collaborating on cross-cutting issues related to the DSA.
A formal commitment: the protocol signed
In concrete terms, the twelve institutions have signed a collaboration protocol, which allows for the sharing of data and information where permitted by law. The signatories include :
- The Autoriteit Financiële Markten,
- The Autoriteit online Kinderpornografisch en Terroristisch Materiaal,
- The Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens,
- The Inspectie Gezondheidszorg en Jeugd,
- The Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport,
- The Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit,
- The Openbaar Ministerie,
- The Rijksinspectie Digitale Infrastructuur,
- The National Police, and
- The Commissariaat voor de Media.
This cooperation will be coordinated via the ‘DSA Kamer’, an exchange platform within the Samenwerkingsplatform Digitale Toezichthouders, chaired by the ACM.
A tried and tested model
The collaboration between the Kansspelautoriteit and the ACM is not new. Since 2015, the two bodies have been cooperating formally to protect consumers, each in its own area of competence: telecommunications for the ACM, gambling regulation for the Ksa.
The existing protocol was updated in January 2024, further strengthening the complementarity between these two regulators. This dynamic is now being extended to a European level with the DSA.
A new taskforce to combat illegal gambling
Alongside this European collaboration, a new national initiative is emerging. On the initiative of MP Rosemarijn Dral (VVD), the House of Representatives has voted to set up a taskforce dedicated to the fight against illegal online casinos.
Michel Groothuizen, chairman of the Kansspelautoriteit, has himself confirmed that advanced discussions are underway with major technology companies such as Google and Meta to limit the visibility of illegal online offerings.
Challenges and opportunities
The creation of this cooperation protocol and the new taskforce comes at a critical time. As online gambling continues to grow at a rapid pace, the pressure to ensure a safe and fair environment is intensifying.
The authorities hope that this collective approach will make it possible to identify risks more quickly and intervene more effectively. However, the success of this strategy will also depend on the ability of private players – particularly the digital giants – to cooperate proactively.