In a recent three-hour session of the Dutch House of Representatives, lawmakers committed to enhancing enforcement against illegal online gambling sites. The debate, held by the Gambling Committee, addressed several topics, notably the illegal gambling market, advertising practices, and the minimum legal gambling age of 18.
Members from a variety of political parties reviewed multiple research documents, sector activity reports, and a letter from Justice State Secretary K.T. van Bruggen dated April 2026. They assessed gambling risks and noted a concerning drop in channelisation below 50%, as estimated by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).
Despite diverse opinions on many issues, the representatives shared common ground regarding the illegal market, with most parties—including ChristenUnie, PRO, and SGP—calling for intensified actions against black market gambling operations. They urged the government to implement stronger measures to block illegal websites, paralleling current protocols used for terrorist and child pornography site actions.
There was a clear push for the KSA to be granted enhanced authority to deal with payment providers, social media platforms, and affiliates that contribute to illegal gambling. Van Bruggen informed stakeholders that the cabinet is working on enabling DNS blocking for these illegal sites, with plans for a consultation scheduled for early 2027.
Lawmakers expressed concern about the proliferation of illegal gambling advertisements on social media, raising awareness of the industry's legal action against Meta to address this issue. Van Bruggen stated, "Meta, especially as one of the parties, but also Google, is really open to this conversation," underscoring the government's commitment to receiving biannual reports on illegal gambling advertising on such platforms. She also suggested that this issue should be addressed at the EU level through the Digital Services Act.
Members from the VVD party emphasized the need for a more assertive approach toward major tech companies.
The topic of increasing the legal gambling age to 21—up from 18—was revisited during discussions. This is not a new proposal, as a bill introduced in 2025 suggested a similar change for activities considered to be of higher risk, like online slots. Van Bruggen remarked that more research is necessary to determine whether raising the age limit would inadvertently drive young people to unregulated options.
Proponents of the increased age limit included SGP’s Diederik van Dijk and CDA’s Tijs van den Brink. Van Bruggen noted that the issue would be addressed in future updates.
Van Dijk also advocated for a complete reversal of the 2021 online gambling legalization that had pioneered a regulated market but has since faced tighter restrictions and rising taxes. He additionally called for a ban on all gambling advertisements, including those related to lotteries and land-based casinos, and questioned the government’s connections with state-owned entities like Holland Casino and Nederlandse Loterij concerning their approach to mitigating gambling harms.
In response, Holland Casino's CEO Petra de Ruiter expressed pride in their responsible gambling initiatives, highlighting a dedicated board comprising experts and individuals with personal experiences who evaluate their current practices and challenge proposed changes.
The overarching theme of the debate was a call for stricter oversight and player protection. Secretary of State Van Bruggen concluded that addressing illegal market enforcement would take precedence, while discussions about increasing the legal gambling age would follow once the illegal market is adequately managed. "It is time to tackle that illegal offer properly, so that we can move towards a time when we do have to move towards an age increase. If that turns out not to be necessary, then we don’t do it," she stated.
