The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has announced that it will open the application process for a single statutory totalisator licence in January 2027. This licence will allow the holder exclusive rights to offer land-based pool betting on horse racing events in the Netherlands for a five-year period, covering from July 1, 2027, until June 30, 2032.
According to Dutch law, this totalisator licence operates as a monopoly, meaning only one operator can provide pool betting services on horse and trotting race results at racetracks and physical betting outlets nationwide. Online horse racing betting is regulated separately under the remote gambling framework established by the 2021 Gambling Act.
ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland is the current licence holder and will see its licence expire on June 30, 2027. KSA emphasizes that the renewal process will be transparent and competitive, with submission details and the application form expected to be made available on the KSA website by December 2026.
The formal application window will open on January 4, 2027, and close on January 31, 2027. Applicants must pay a non-refundable processing fee of €40,900 ($45,567) at the time of submission.
The tender process will consist of two stages. The first stage involves an initial assessment where KSA will review applications based on statutory and public interest criteria. This includes evaluating corporate structure, operational continuity, integrity, and reliability, as well as policies surrounding outsourcing and incident response management. Key responsibilities for applicants will involve implementing measures to prevent excessive gambling, addiction, and underage betting. Furthermore, candidates must demonstrate prior experience in providing offline sports betting services and outline strategies to prevent match-fixing.
If multiple applicants successfully pass the initial assessment, the second stage will be a lottery draw to determine the winner. This draw will be conducted under notarial supervision to ensure impartiality.
Licence holders will be required to financially support the equestrian sector by allocating 10% of their monthly gross gaming revenue from bets placed on Dutch horse and trotting races to assist the sport and its infrastructure.
ZEbetting & Gaming forms part of the French Zebet/Zeturf business and operates in France, Belgium, and Malta. It had its totalisator licence renewed in 2022 following the last awarding procedure by KSA. While the tender process has not significantly changed in the past four years, the processing fee has increased by 27.8% from the previous amount of €32,000.
