Netherlands: four gaming licences renewed
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6 Aug 2026 •
Reading time: 3 minutes
The Netherlands has officially launched the renewal process for online gambling operators’ licences due to expire in 2026. The Kansspelautoriteit’s first decisions have now been announced: Fair Play Online, TOTO Online, Bingoal and Kansino will be able to continue their operations until 2031.
First decisions announced for online gambling
The Dutch authorities have launched the first wave of licence renewals for online gambling operators. Four companies have already been granted authorisation to continue their operations beyond 30 September 2026: Fair Play Online, TOTO Online, Bingoal and Play North Limited, owner of the Kansino brand.
Unlike an automatic renewal, operators must submit a new licence application to the Kansspelautoriteit.
The regulator analyses the behaviour of companies over the last five years. The reliability of operators, measures to prevent addiction, advertising policy and compliance with anti-money laundering obligations are among the key areas examined. Any past breaches are also taken into account. Applicants must demonstrate that they have learnt from their mistakes and outline the measures put in place to prevent them from happening again.
Fair Play paves the way until 2031
Fair Play Online is the first operator in this new round to have been granted a licence valid until 1 October 2031.
Shortly afterwards, TOTO Online, a subsidiary of Nederlandse Loterij, and Play North Limited, the operator of Kansino, were also granted authorisation to continue their operations for a further five years.
These initial decisions so far concern only some of the operators active in the Dutch market. For other companies, uncertainty remains. No decision has yet been announced regarding Holland Casino Online, BetCity, GGPoker or bet365. Several of these operators have already been subject to sanctions by the regulator.
BetCity’s operator, Betent, was fined 400,000 euros for advertising aimed at young adults. The company subsequently received a final penalty of 3 million euros relating to anti-money laundering obligations, followed by a further fine of 2.65 million euros for failing to fulfil its duty to protect young players.
The case involving bet365 is also under scrutiny. Its operator, Hillside, was fined €400,000 for advertising campaigns aimed at young adults. In early 2026, the KSA also announced that it had issued a binding injunction to the company to strengthen its duty to protect players.
Sanctions do not automatically bar the way
However, the initial decisions show that a previous sanction does not automatically lead to a licence being refused.
TOTO is the most striking example of this. The operator had previously been fined €400,000 for adverts targeting young adults, and then received an injunction regarding compliance with anti-money laundering rules at the end of 2025. Despite this track record, the company is among the first operators authorised to continue their activities until 2031
Kansino is another example of this approach. Its operator, Play North, was served with an injunction relating to anti-money laundering obligations in 2022. However, this measure did not prevent the company from obtaining a new licence.
Bingoal has also been penalised on several occasions. The operator was fined €350,000 after temporarily allowing certain players to participate without the mandatory check via the Cruks register. A second fine of €400,000 was subsequently imposed for adverts targeting young adults.
A licence renewal process that has only just begun
The first licences issued by the Kansspelautoriteit represent just one stage in the Dutch licence renewal process. Other operators are still awaiting their fate.
The final decision will be based not only on compliance with current regulatory requirements, but also on the companies’ ability to demonstrate that they have rectified the breaches identified over the past five years.