Netherlands Calls for Joint EU Offensive on Unlicensed Operators

The head of the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), Michel Groothuizen, has warned that the Netherlands cannot tackle illegal gambling alone and must push for stronger European cooperation. 

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Writing after the annual committee debate on games of chance, he described the scale of the problem as overwhelming, noting that “of every euro that the Dutch gamble, half goes to the illegal market.”

He stressed that the turnover of the global illegal gambling industry is larger than the GDP of any country except the United States and China, making national efforts insufficient.

Groothuizen explained that illegal operators not only avoid paying tax, costing the Netherlands more than half a billion euros, but also deliberately target vulnerable players. He pointed to recent cases where gambling sites impersonated the Dutch suicide prevention service 113.nl, and others that encouraged people registered in the Cruks exclusion system to bypass restrictions.

“Their message? Bypass your Gambling Stop, continue gambling with us,” he said, highlighting how predatory these sites can be.

Weak enforcement and global reach

The KSA chief acknowledged that regulators impose fines worth tens of millions, but these penalties barely dent profits and are often ignored.

Many operators quickly change legal identities or base themselves in jurisdictions beyond reach, such as the Comoros. To counter this, Dutch regulators have tried to block websites, disrupt payment channels, and pressure tech companies like Meta to stop hosting illegal gambling ads.

Over the past year, the Dutch lottery (Nederlandse Loterij) has taken legal action against three illegal gambling sites, including the most recent against Skyhills. It also blocked access to prediction market platform Polymarket, earlier in June.

Yet Groothuizen admitted that “against this kind of globally operating tech and financial companies, we as the Netherlands are far too small.”

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He argued that only coordinated European measures can deliver real impact. He described it as “naïve to hold on to the idea that we have enough with a well-regulated legal national market and a national regulator to tackle this problem.”

Instead, he urged the creation of stronger international enforcement tools, likening the current fight to local police battling global criminal networks. While the State Secretary has shown awareness of the issue, Groothuizen warned that the lack of focus in parliament means European rules risk being sidelined. 

He concluded that illegal operators already operate across borders, with international money flows and advertising networks, and that “real impact requires clout at European level.”

Committee saw lawmakers split on player safeguards and ad ban

The committee debate showed how united lawmakers were on tackling illegal operators, but also how divided they remain on protecting players in the legal market. 

State Secretary Claudia van Bruggen made clear that unlicensed platforms are her top priority, calling the fight against them “a top priority” and promising regulators stronger tools. But unity ended there. 

Some lawmakers pushed for a full advertising ban and a higher minimum age of 21, while others went further, calling for legalization to be rolled back entirely. On the other side, there were calls for calm, with some lawmakers warning of a “waterbed effect” if restrictions keep tightening.

Van Bruggen resisted immediate changes, rejecting a blanket ad ban and holding off on raising the age limit until evidence shows it reduces harm without driving players to illegal sites. She promised updates on higher penalties, a ban on gambling with borrowed money, and legislation for DNS blocks in 2027.

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