The Dutch Gambling Authority, Kansspelautoriteit, has granted the first eight follow-on licences for online gambling providers, clearing them to continue operating in the regulated market from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2031. The decisions mark the first renewal cycle since the Netherlands opened its legal online gambling market in October 2021.
The eight recipients are TOTO Online, Holland Casino, Play North, FPO Nederland, Bingoal Nederland, Hillside (New Media Malta), NSUS Malta and Betent. Their licensed brands are TOTO and Winnitt, Holland Casino Online, Kansino, FairPlay Casino, Bingoal, Bet365, GG Poker and Betcity, according to Gaming.net, which reported the approvals on Sept. 17.
The announcement formalises Holland Casino Online’s place in the first group of renewals, following our report in August that its licence had been extended through 2031. Five operators had publicly announced five-year follow-on licences by August, but the Ksa had not previously issued a single announcement covering the first eight approvals.
The new permissions are not extensions of the old licences. Existing holders had to submit new applications under licensing rules that took effect on Jan. 1, ahead of the expiry of the first five-year terms on Sept. 30, 2026.
A central change is the regulator’s explicit consideration of violations definitively established during the preceding five years. Applicants that had committed breaches had to explain how they had remedied them and how they would prevent a recurrence. The Ksa said it gave some providers additional points of attention, without naming them or specifying the issues, but found that all eight met the conditions for a new licence.
That approach makes use of the supervisory record accumulated during the market’s first licensing period. The regulator said five-year licence terms were deliberately chosen so that its enforcement experience could be weighed when operators applied to continue.
The updated framework also requires applicants to explain how they will keep the Ksa informed promptly of material changes in policy or business operations. Follow-on applications reassess elements including addiction-prevention and advertising policies, and require a new integration test for the controledatabank, the regulator’s control database.
Applicants must also file an exit plan for an orderly wind-down if a licence ends or gambling activity stops early. Under the official rules, the plan must address legal, financial, technical and communication arrangements, continued accessibility for former players and the regulator, settlement of player balances, and data and record-keeping obligations.
The original licences were granted in 2021 when online gambling became legal in the Netherlands, where casino games and betting may be offered online only under a Ksa remote-gambling licence. Further follow-on decisions are expected as other existing licences reach the end of their terms on Sept. 30.
