The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has announced that the application window for a statutory totalisator licence will open in January 2027. This licence will provide the exclusive right to offer land-based pool betting on horse racing in the Netherlands for a five-year period, beginning on July 1, 2027, and concluding on June 30, 2032.
Under current Dutch legislation, the totalisator licence operates as a monopoly, allowing only one operator to offer pool betting services on horse and trotting race outcomes at racetracks and designated betting locations nationwide. Online horse racing betting is governed separately under the remote gambling regulations established by the 2021 Gambling Act.
The existing licence holder, ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland, currently holds the permit which is set to expire on June 30, 2027. The KSA has stated that the upcoming application process will be transparent and competitive, with details of submissions and forms expected to be published on the KSA website by December 2026.
Applications will be accepted from January 4, 2027, to January 31, 2027, with an upfront, non-refundable processing fee of €40,900 ($45,567).
The tender process will take place in two phases. The initial assessment will evaluate applications against several criteria including corporate structure, operational continuity, internal supervisory measures, integrity, reliability, and incident response protocols. This stage will also require applicants to demonstrate effective strategies for preventing excessive gambling, addiction, and underage betting while emphasizing their experience in offline sports betting operations to emphasize their operational competency.
Should multiple applicants pass the first stage, the process will advance to a lottery to determine the winner, ensuring the draw is conducted under notarial supervision for impartiality.
Additionally, the licence obligates holders to financially support the equestrian sector, mandating that 10% of monthly gross gaming revenue derived from bets on Dutch horse and trotting races is allocated to support the sport and its infrastructure.
ZEbetting & Gaming, part of the French Zebet/Zeturf entity, is also operational in France, Belgium, and Malta. They last renewed their totalisator licence in 2022, but the tender process has remained largely unchanged over the past four years, with the processing fee reflecting a 27.8% increase from €32,000.
