The Dutch Gambling Authority, known as the KSA, announced on Thursday that it has reissued eight online gambling licenses as part of its five-year renewal strategy for the sector. This decision allows these operators to legally continue their activities in the Netherlands from October 1, 2026, until September 30, 2031.
This marks the first instance of license renewals since the Dutch online gambling market was launched in 2021. The operators listed for renewal will indicate how many have opted to remain in the market. The current licenses, granted at the outset of the market's launch, will expire at the end of September 2026, necessitating that all license holders apply for the next five-year term.
The renewed licenses were awarded to TOTO Online BV (offering TOTO and Winnitt), Holland Casino NV (Holland Casino Online), Play North Limited (Kansino), FPO Nederland BV (FairPlay Casino), Bingoal Nederland BV (Bingoal), Hillside (New Media Malta) Plc (Bet365), NSUS Malta Limited (GG Poker), and Betent BV (Betcity). This diverse selection includes both local and international operators, emphasizing that so far, no new entrants have joined the list of approval recipients. Notably, LiveScore and Tombola, which were among the first ten operators licensed, exited the market in 2024.
In comparison to its approach in 2021, the KSA has adopted a more rigorous and detailed licensing renewal process, following the introduction of new regulatory policies in September 2025. One of these policies requires licensees with past compliance issues to articulate how they have learned from their mistakes and what measures are in place to prevent future occurrences. The KSA stated, "providers that made mistakes in the past five years must explain during the application process how they have learned from previous mistakes and how they intend to prevent recurrence. If we find this explanation insufficient, the permit may be denied or additional conditions and restrictions may be imposed."
This requirement raised concerns among operators, prompting fears of increased barriers to entry. However, at a policy meeting last year, the regulator reassured licensees that a strict rule was not being enforced. Bjorn Fuchs, chairman of VNLOK, reflected on this, noting that when the KSA outlined the approach, there was a noticeable relief in the room. The result was a renewal framework that is more structured than before.
Fuchs commented, “If you [as an operator] have a clean sheet, there are some hoops, but for various modules, you can just send a declaration which states that you’re compliant.” He highlighted that while the new requirements add some complexity, the overall burden on operators would be less than in the past. The introduction of an ‘exit plan’ and more precise duty-of-care definitions has heightened the requirements for operators.
In its previous announcements, the KSA explained that applicants must detail corrective measures taken to address earlier violations and describe actions to avoid repeating such breaches. Furthermore, all applications must now include an exit plan, a new requirement intended to ensure a systematic market withdrawal process. This plan requires operators to outline responsibly how they would wind down operations if their licenses were not renewed or revoked, or should they choose to exit the market prematurely before the next renewal period.
The KSA indicated that several applicants received ‘additional points for attention,’ suggesting that while they met the minimum standards, the regulator expects ongoing improvements in compliance. TOTO Online BV, for instance, faced scrutiny earlier this year for breaching regulations against using role models in advertising, having been previously fined in 2022 for promoting gambling ads aimed at young audiences.
