KSA renews eight Dutch licences under stricter compliance regime

The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has renewed eight online gambling licences as part of its five-year renewal plan, allowing operators to continue legal operations in the Netherlands from 1 October 2026 through to 30 September 2031. This is the first time licences have come up for renewal since the market launched in 2021, and the final list will reveal how many operators have decided not to remain in the market.

The initial 2021 licences are set to expire at the end of September 2026, and all licence holders were required to submit applications for the subsequent five-year period. Recipients include TOTO Online BV (TOTO, 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).

The list reflects a mix of local and internationally-based operators, but notably no new operators have received approval to operate. LiveScore and Tombola, part of the original 10 operators, exited the market in 2024, leaving the renewal list to show who remains committed to the Dutch market.

The KSA adopted a more granular and stringent approach to its renewal process compared to 2021, following new policy rules set out in September 2025. One key change is that licensees that faced compliance enforcement during the five years operating in the Netherlands must explain how they have learned from previous mistakes and how they intend to prevent recurrence.

The regulator 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."

Operators had worried the barriers to entry could become more restrictive, but at a meeting on the policies last year the regulator assured licensees it wasn't enforcing a specific strict rule on this. Bjorn Fuchs, chairman of VNLOK, said "there was a sigh of relief going through the room when it was presented".

Fuchs added: "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 emphasised the new system would make burdens less demanding than before, but the new 'exit plan' requirement and sharper duty-of-care definitions do bring some added complexity.

All submissions must now include an exit plan, a new obligation that applies across the board. This requirement, intended to ensure orderly market withdrawal, marks a move toward embedding long-term risk management into the licensing process. Operators must describe in detail how they will responsibly wind down their operations should their licence not be renewed or be revoked, or if they decide to leave the market midway through the five years between renewals.

The regulator noted that several operators received 'additional points for attention', indicating that while these applicants met minimum legal thresholds, the KSA expected continuous improvements in compliance practices. One operator, TOTO online BV, was reported in June for violating the ban on featuring role models in advertising materials, and was fined in 2022 for gambling advertisements seemingly aimed at young people.

For Malta-based operators, the Dutch renewal framework signals a clear direction: compliance history and forward-looking risk management are now central to licence retention. The exit plan requirement, in particular, adds a new layer of strategic planning for any operator considering the Dutch market, as the cost of leaving is now a formal part of the licence application process.