The Dutch government has opted for a near-total ban on online gambling advertisements, emphasizing that the most effective form of advertising is no advertising at all. Announced in June by Claudia van Bruggen, the state secretary for legal protection, the proposed measures include not only an outright ban on advertisements but also the elimination of sign-up bonuses, a uniform deposit limit applied across all gambling operators, enhancements to the CRUKS self-exclusion register, and a commitment to intensify enforcement against illegal gambling activities.
“I find it particularly concerning that more and more people, especially young people, have started gambling online and are getting into trouble as a result,” Van Bruggen stated regarding the initiative. “It is high time to reverse this trend.”
The proposed regulations mark a continuation of a systematic tightening of gambling laws, rather than a shift in direction. The Netherlands has previously restricted gambling advertisements featuring role models, banned unregulated advertising as of July 2023, and disallowed sports sponsorship by July 2025. Despite these measures, officials now recognize that public exposure to gambling remains high, prompting them to intensify regulations.
A fundamental shift is apparent in the approach to gambling regulation. When the online market opened in 2021, the focus was on guiding players toward licensed operators—referred to as channelisation. This aim appears to have been set aside, as Justin Franssen, a partner at the Amsterdam law firm Franssen Tolboom, pointed out. He noted that the former state secretary, Teun Struycken, hinted at this shift, stating, “The new mantra is the prevention of gambling harm.” Now, the goal is to protect all individuals from the potential adverse effects of gambling.
Current data suggests this shift comes at a precarious time, as the Dutch regulator, the KSA, revealed that the share of the legal market's gross gaming revenue had fallen to about 49% by early 2025. Reports indicated that the black market constituted roughly a quarter of all gambling activity in the Netherlands. Licensed operators attribute this decline to a gaming tax rate of 37.8% and the very advertising restrictions the government aims to intensify.
Questions arise regarding the evidence supporting a complete advertising ban when previous restrictions have not proven effective. “It’s a very simple answer; there is no evidence,” Franssen remarked, emphasizing the KSA's own concerns about a total ban and its counsel against such measures.
Currently, illegal gambling advertisements dominate social media, with Franssen estimating that approximately 95% of these ads originate from unlicensed operators. In June, the trade association VNLOK filed a lawsuit against Meta and lodged a complaint with the European Commission following a surge of illegal gambling ads. In the last quarter of 2025 alone, VNLOK recorded over 70,000 gambling ads on Meta platforms, with an alarming 95% coming from illegal operators, while nearly all offending content remains live much longer than the requested removal period.
The illegal Dutch gaming market is estimated to exceed €1 billion annually, equaling the regulated sector. Franssen warns that banning legal operators will inadvertently provide an advantage to illegal ones. He stated, “What you ultimately achieve with a total ban is that you hand the entire stage to illegal operators while preventing licensed operators from informing consumers that a legal, regulated, and protected alternative exists.” He characterized this proposed total ban as one of the poorest policy ideas he has seen in many years.
The Netherlands' path is not unique, as Denmark previously debated a blanket advertisement ban before opting for stringent restrictions last October, including prohibitions on ads during live sports events and other public spaces. However, challenges persist; Morten Rønde, outgoing director of the Danish online gambling association Spillebranchen, noted burgeoning unlicensed market growth despite ongoing restrictions, leading to a drop in licensed market visibility.
Italy, which enacted a complete ban via its Dignity Decree in 2018, has witnessed illegal gambling flourish, now estimated at €22 billion. Quirino Mancini, a partner at WH Partners in Italy, criticized the ban's ineffectiveness, stating that the expected increase in regulated market engagement has been minimal at best.
Meanwhile, the Dutch government's measures also come with existing policies that demonstrate effectiveness without a total ban. The deposit limits instituted in 2024 showed meaningful results in reducing risks among players, particularly among younger demographics.
While Van Bruggen's motives are focused on player protection, Franssen cautions that increasing advertising restrictions, high taxes, and compliance burdens will likely push more players toward unregulated markets rather than improve the conditions of the licensed market.
Enforcement remains central to the government’s plan to combat the black market, yet Franssen remains skeptical about its efficacy, asserting that the black market is adept at circumventing enforcement measures.
The move toward a total ban will require primary legislation, potentially extending the timeline for implementation to two years or longer. Yet in those two years, growing trends toward the black market and an ongoing stagnation in channelisation rates signal deeper issues ahead. Mancini confidently asserts, “This is quite a safe bet,” while Rønde adds a cautionary note about the risks of pushing too far, suggesting that the current market dynamics may push further outcomes toward unsustainable territory.
As regulatory measures tighten, it remains uncertain how the conversation around gambling will evolve in the Netherlands, potentially veering away from established channels to unregulated spaces where the government has limited oversight.
