Dutch Lawmakers Back Crackdown on Illegal Gambling, Split on Player Safeguards and Ad Ban

The Dutch House of Representatives held a lengthy committee debate on gambling policy last Thursday, and while lawmakers spoke with one voice on the need to fight illegal operators, they were far less united on how to protect players in the legal market.

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State Secretary Claudia van Bruggen stressed that tackling unlicensed sites is her top priority, but she also rejected calls to reverse legalization or immediately raise the minimum age to 21. 

Across party lines, MPs demanded stronger action against unlicensed gambling websites. ChristenUnie, PRO, SGP, CDA, D66, VVD and SP all pressed for faster blocking of sites and tougher measures against platforms that host or promote them.

Even Forum for Democracy, usually cautious about new government powers, acknowledged the scale of the problem. Van Bruggen echoed this urgency, calling the fight against illegal gambling “a top priority” and promising to give the regulator more tools.

She also pledged to push Meta and Google harder, saying of their role in hosting illegal ads: “no mercy.” The State Secretary confirmed that 39 illegal gambling apps had already been removed between June and August after reports to Apple and Google. 

Van Bruggen went on to announce plans for a DNS blockade to shut down foreign sites, noting that current law does not yet provide a clear basis for obliging providers to block them. European cooperation, she added, would be essential since servers and payment routes often cross borders. 

Disagreement over player protection

While united on illegality, lawmakers clashed over how to regulate the legal market in the three-hour debate reported by local news outlet Casinonieuws.nl.

ChristenUnie’s Bikker argued for a full advertising ban and a higher minimum age of 21, insisting that gambling is not a normal consumer market because “the revenue model is ultimately based on losses of players.”

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The SGP went further, calling for the legalization of online gambling to be reversed entirely. CDA’s Tijs van den Brink supported fewer permits and a central access portal with strict limits, while SP’s Sarah Dobbe pushed for higher fines and stronger enforcement of Cruks. 

On the other side, D66’s Joost Sneller warned against focusing only on licensed operators, saying that if restrictions keep tightening, “there is therefore a waterbed effect to an environment where there are no Cruks, duty of care, limits or Dutch supervision.”

Forum for Democracy’s Iem Al Biyati emphasized freedom of choice, arguing that government should not restrict players without problematic behavior. 

Van Bruggen resisted immediate changes to the age limit, saying she first wants proof that raising it would reduce harm without driving young players to illegal sites. She also rejected a total advertising ban, focusing instead on riskier online products.

Credit gambling ban, higher penalties, and more to be considered

At the close of the debate, Van Bruggen promised to return with updates on several issues. She committed to investigating higher fines for illegal providers, exploring a ban on gambling with borrowed money, and clarifying the regulator’s use of player identities in supervision.

She also pledged to intensify cooperation with European partners and to draft legislation enabling DNS blocks of foreign sites, with consultation planned for early 2027.

A two‑minute plenary debate will follow, where MPs can submit motions on unresolved issues such as age limits, advertising, and sanctions. Meanwhile, October 1, 2026, marks the expiry of the first five‑year permits issued when the online market opened, raising fresh questions about licensing policy.

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