New licences for BetCity and bet365
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18 Sep 2026 •
Reading time: 3 minutes
BetCity and bet365 have been granted a new five-year licence to offer online gambling in the Netherlands. The two operators will therefore be able to continue their operations in the regulated market after their current licences expire on 30 September 2026.
Eight operators now have certainty about their future
The licence renewal granted to BetCity and bet365 marks the completion of an important phase for the Dutch online gambling market. All eight operators still active among those that began operations when the regulated market opened on 1 October 2021 have now announced that they have been granted a new licence.
TOTO, Holland Casino Online, Fair Play Online, Kansino and Bingoal had already announced their licence renewals at the start of August.
The new licences are valid for five years, allowing these eight operators to continue their activities until 1 October 2031.
BetCity emphasises player protection
Following the Kansspelautoriteit’s decision, BetCity described this licence renewal as recognition of its efforts to promote a safe, responsible and regulated gambling environment.
The company highlights the changes that have taken place since the market opened in 2021, notably the strengthening of player protection, identity checks, measures designed to encourage responsible gambling behaviour, and the monitoring of practices considered to be risky.
The company states that it values the cooperation it has enjoyed with the regulatory authority over the past five years. It believes this dialogue has helped to improve industry standards and player protection mechanisms.
BetCity considers, however, that the fight against illegal operators must remain a priority. According to the company, this crackdown must go hand in hand with a sufficiently robust legal offering to retain players within the regulated market.
As a member of the Entain group, BetCity states that it wishes to continue working with the regulator, public officials and other industry stakeholders to develop a sustainable market in which player protection remains central.
bet365 also secures a licence until 2031
A few hours before BetCity’s announcement, bet365 had confirmed that it had secured its own licence for the next five years.
A spokesperson for bet365 said the company was delighted to have secured a new licence in the Netherlands and noted that the operator was approaching its fifth year of operation in the country.
“We are pleased to confirm that bet365 has once again been granted a licence in the Netherlands. This announcement marks nearly five years of bet365’s operations in the country, and we look forward to continuing to offer Dutch customers a competitive and attractive range of services, with our ongoing commitment to safer gambling at the heart of our business.”
Why are these licence renewals important?
The first licences granted when the regulated Dutch market opened are due to expire on 30 September 2026. Without a new licence, the operators concerned would not be able to legally continue their activities after that date.
Initially, ten companies were granted a licence to participate in the market launch. Two of them, Tombola and LiveScore Bet, have since left the Netherlands and surrendered their licences.
The remaining eight operators now all hold a new licence: TOTO, Holland Casino Online, Fair Play Online, Kansino, Bingoal, bet365, GGPoker and BetCity.
Jacks.nl faces an upcoming deadline
However, another operator is subject to a different regulatory deadline. Jacks.nl, the first operator to obtain a licence after the initial group, currently holds a licence valid until 20 November 2026.