Netherlands moves to crack down on illegal online gambling

Dutch lawmakers have reached a broad political agreement to strengthen enforcement against the illegal gambling market. The initiative follows data from the Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), indicating that less than 50% of gamblers have transitioned to legal, regulated services.

Justice State Secretary KT van Bruggen confirmed that the government is developing legislation to implement DNS blocking of illegal gambling websites. A public consultation on this proposal is expected in early 2027. Lawmakers also proposed granting the KSA greater authority to target the infrastructure supporting unauthorized operators, including payment providers, social media platforms, affiliates, and technology intermediaries.

During parliamentary debates, discussions also addressed the prevalence of illegal gambling advertisements on social media. Representatives from Meta and Google have reportedly expressed readiness to cooperate with the government on this issue. Additionally, politicians are considering raising the legal gambling age from 18 to 21 to mitigate risks associated with high-risk products like online slot games.