Dutch KSA Grants Five-Year Renewals to Eight Online Gambling Operators
The KSA renewed eight online licences for five years from October 2026 to September 2031. The process imposed stricter reviews of past compliance, mandatory explanations of corrective actions, and required exit plans. This reflects a tighter post-2021 regulatory framework in the Netherlands.
SCCG Take — Operators must now treat documented compliance learning and exit planning as standard costs of retention, raising the bar for uninterrupted market participation.
The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has granted the first eight follow-up licences to online gambling operators, allowing them to continue in the Netherlands for another five years. These licences run from October 2026 through September 2031. The original licences issued after online gambling legalisation in 2021 expire at the end of September 2026.
The eight operators are TOTO Online BV, which operates TOTO and Winnitt; Holland Casino NV, which operates Holland Casino Online; Play North Limited, which operates Kansino; FPO Nederland BV, which operates FairPlay Casino; Bingoal Nederland BV, which runs Bingoal; Hillside (New Media Malta) Plc, which operates Bet365; NSUS Malta Limited, which operates GG Poker; and Betent BV, which operates Betcity. The 2021 round originally covered 10 operators. LiveScore Bet and Tombola exited the Dutch market in 2024.
Stricter Renewal Process Follows 2025 Policy Rules
The KSA applied a more granular and stringent approach to these renewals than in 2021, following new policy rules set out in September 2025. Licensees that faced compliance enforcement in the prior five years must explain how they learned from those mistakes and how they will prevent recurrence. If the KSA finds the explanation insufficient, it may deny the licence or impose additional conditions and restrictions.
This requirement prompted operator concerns that barriers to entry had increased. At a meeting on the policies last year, the regulator assured licensees it was not enforcing a specific strict rule. Bjorn Fuchs, Chairman of VNLOK, told iGB there was a “sigh of relief” in the room when the approach was presented. Fuchs said operators with a clean record would still have to complete certain requirements but could submit declarations confirming compliance for various modules.
All applicants had to detail corrective actions for previous breaches and outline prevention measures. A new obligation requires every submission to include an exit plan describing how the operator would responsibly wind down if the licence was not renewed, revoked, or if the operator chose to leave during the five-year term. The KSA said several operators received “additional points for attention,” indicating they met minimum thresholds but must pursue continuous compliance improvements. TOTO Online was reported in June for violating the ban on featuring role models in advertising and was fined in 2022 for a similar breach involving ads seemingly aimed at young people.
What the Renewals Signal for Licence Holders
The process makes plain that past compliance records now require documented self-analysis and concrete prevention steps. The mandatory exit plan adds a structural layer operators had not faced in the initial round. Licence holders in this jurisdiction will treat these elements as ongoing compliance costs rather than one-time hurdles if they intend to remain past 2031.
Reporting: Yogonet International
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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