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The Dutch government has laid out a five-year plan to cut gambling-related harm, with online gambling ads, deposit limits and illegal operators all placed in the same reform package.
Good to know
- Online gambling ads could face a near-total ban, with only narrow exceptions for legal operator visibility.
- The government has dropped the idea of raising the minimum age for online slots to 21.
- KSA could receive wider powers to work with banks, platforms, suppliers and foreign regulators against illegal sites.
Dutch Gambling Plan Targets Ads And Player Limits
State secretary for justice and security Claudia van Bruggen set out the plan in a 16-page letter and a multi-year agenda released on Friday through the Dutch parliament. The proposal follows earlier coalition plans from February, when the three-party government compared gambling ads with sex work and backed much stricter rules.
Van Bruggen said player protection now needs a broader policy than single rule changes.
“I have drawn up the multi-year agenda for protection against gambling damage to protect people. Preventing gambling damage requires a broad approach involving a long-term commitment to more preventive measures,” van Bruggen wrote.
The Dutch online gambling market opened in 2021 under the Remote Gambling Act. Since then, KSA has tightened rules on advertising, duty of care and deposit limits, while illegal gambling sites remain a major concern for policymakers.
The new agenda also explores fewer online gambling licences in the Netherlands. Van Bruggen said fewer licences could offer “extra protection,” although no licence cap has been set yet.
“This sets out strategic goals for achieving a reduction in gambling loss in the Netherlands and the efforts required for this in the coming years. The principles and goals of the new vision on gambling, as well as the multi-year protection agenda, concern the entire gambling policy.”
Online Casinos Face Stronger Care Rules
A central deposit limit for online gambling now sits near the top of the plan. Players who want to bet above that level could face an affordability check. Younger adults could receive lower limits to reduce financial risk.
KSA data from April 2026 helped shape the plan. The regulator found that October 2024 deposit rules had already reduced problematic gambling behaviour. Under those rules, Dutch operators must act when young adults aged 18 to 24 pass €300 in net deposits in a calendar month, while the threshold for older players stands at €700.
Finland has taken a related path. State-owned Veikkaus recently added deposit limits for players under 25, and Dutch policymakers now appear to favor similar age-based protection over a higher legal age.
Van Bruggen rejected an earlier plan to raise the minimum age for high-risk games such as online slots to 21. KSA had warned that such a step could send young adults toward offshore gambling sites.
“A relatively large number of young adults gamble online, and there is a real risk that a far-reaching measure such as raising the age limit will push young adults towards illegal offerings,” she said.
Instead, the agenda points to stricter age checks, prevention programmes and media literacy work aimed at showing how algorithms and gambling marketing can encourage risky play.
Land Based Gambling And Illegal Sites Also Included
The plan does not stop at online casinos. Van Bruggen said land-based gambling also needs attention because recent research described several retail gambling products as high-risk.
Illegal gambling will also get more attention. The government wants to give KSA extra tools so the regulator can work with financial institutions, digital platforms, suppliers and international partners. The goal is to cut off illegal operators from payments, technology and promotion.
“My focus lies primarily on legislation to improve protection in online gambling, particularly for vulnerable groups such as young adults. A firm approach to the illegal supply and participation is necessary, because illegal gambling offers no protection and the risk of gambling-related harm is therefore much greater,” the secretary of state added.
Operators could also face clearer intervention rules. An external expert group will advise on duty of care standards for online gambling companies, while improvements to Cruks, the national self-exclusion register, are planned. Expansion toward illegal gambling sites remains under review.
Care access forms another part of the agenda. The government wants less stigma around gambling harm, better visibility for support services and stronger links between addiction, debt, mental health and social care. Suicide prevention also appears as a clinical priority.
The Ministry of Justice and Security will oversee the agenda with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and KSA. Funding will come through the Addiction Prevention Fund, managed by KSA.
No standard tool currently measures gambling harm across the Netherlands. The agenda cites 2025 research showing 69% of Dutch residents aged 16 and older took part in at least one form of gambling. Half of people aged 16 to 17 also reported gambling, even though the legal gambling age is 18.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the Netherlands ban all online gambling ads?
The plan proposes a near-total online gambling advertising ban. Narrow exceptions could remain so players can still identify legal operators.
Will online slots in the Netherlands become 21 plus?
No. Van Bruggen confirmed that the government has dropped that idea because it could drive young adults to illegal gambling sites.
What role will KSA play?
KSA could gain more enforcement tools, especially against illegal operators. The regulator would also help manage funding, data work and safer gambling rules.
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