The Netherlands wants to bring European regulators together
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25 Aug 2026 •
Reading time: 2 minutes
The Kansspelautoriteit continues to advocate for greater cooperation between European regulators. In particular, it would like to see the revival of the European expert group on gambling services, which was disbanded in 2018.
The Netherlands is seeking a solution outside Brussels
Eight years after the European expert group on gambling was disbanded, the issue remains unresolved in the Netherlands. Roos Lawant, Director of Player Protection at the Ksa, explains that her organisation continues to advocate for the return of such European cooperation.
In the absence of a concrete response, another possibility is now being raised: no longer necessarily waiting for an initiative from the European institutions. According to her, regulators could consider pooling their own financial resources to support a new expert organisation.
“As the Kansspelautoriteit, we can, for example, examine whether we can, together with other European authorities, secure funding to support a new expert group.”
A European group that ceased to exist in 2018
Until 2018, a group of experts on gambling services operated under the European Commission. This body comprised 30 members from various European Union Member States. It thus enabled national representatives to come together to discuss issues relating to the gambling sector.
The group was eventually disbanded in 2018. Three years later, in 2021, fourteen European regulatory authorities called for its reinstatement. However, their request was unsuccessful.
Thierry Breton took the view that online gambling should be regulated at national level. This position ran counter to the argument put forward by the regulatory authorities, who emphasised the cross-border nature of the sector.
The Kansspelautoriteit keeps up the pressure
Roos Lawant confirms that the Kansspelautoriteit continues to actively call for the reinstatement of the expert group. This initiative forms part of a broader drive to strengthen cooperation between the authorities responsible for overseeing national markets.
The idea had also been championed earlier in 2026 by Michel Groothuizen, chair of the Kansspelautoriteit. He had used a particularly evocative phrase when suggesting that the European online gambling market needed a sort of ‘Interpol for gambling’.
European cooperation already exists on the ground
However, the absence of an expert group does not mean that regulators are working in isolation. Pending the possible establishment of a new European structure, the Kansspelautoriteit is already developing direct partnerships with its counterparts.
Earlier in 2026, the Dutch authority signed a new cooperation agreement with Spillemyndigheden, the Danish regulatory authority, as well as with six other regulators.