KSA Finalizes Legislation for Dutch Online Casino market

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the gambling regulatory authority in the Netherlands, will start licensing online gambling providers on April 1. Once approved, online casino operators will be required to display a licensing trademark on their sites and app download pages.

Gross sales are expected to reach €1.1 billion by 2024 from online gambling in the Netherlands.

69% of that €1.1 billion will be generated by legalized online casino marketplaces (legalized meaning those that have the licensing trademark).

KSA uses a London-based market research company called Regulus Partners and another called H2 Gambling Capital. With Regulus’s research, an estimated €827 million in gross sales was recently projected. However, Regulus could not specify between legal and illegal operations.

With the help of these two agencies and the newly decreed trademark licensing from the KSA, online gambling in the Netherlands should be more easily tracible. This way, the government sector can discern sales differences between legal and illegal online gambling activity with the goal of diminishing illegal activity over time.

Those wanting to operate in the Dutch market must adhere to strict rules regarding player safety.

The Remote Gaming Act was passed in 2019, offering international operators the ability to join the Dutch online gambling market only if they demonstrate strategies towards responsible gambling.

The KSA estimates that roughly 1 million Dutch citizens play online casino games. The Remote Gaming Act aims to protect these players locally. Previously, operators were likely licensed in the EU somewhere and were free to offer their games throughout the EU. That was great for providers but offered no protection towards players.

This act and licensing schematic will protect players, legalize gaming in the Netherlands, and provide significant revenue in just a few short years.