Netherlands Plans Near-Total Gambling Ad and Bonus Ban

By John Isaac,
Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac is an editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He writes expert articles on card games like blackjack and poker. In addition, he is also well aware of the US gambling laws and the Indian and Dutch gambling markets. You can rely on verified information and insightful details.

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Last updated: June 25, 2026

The cabinet has proposed sweeping new online gambling advertising and bonus rules.

The Dutch government has unveiled its toughest online gambling reform package yet, proposing a near-total ban on advertising and a complete prohibition on operator bonuses. State Secretary Claudia van Bruggen presented the plan on June 12, 2026. Parliament debates the measures on June 24, with new rules expected in early 2027.

What the New Rules Would Ban

The package goes well beyond the advertising curbs already in place. It targets the marketing and bonus tactics that regulators say draw vulnerable players to licensed and unlicensed sites alike.

Under the proposal, operators would face:

• A near-total ban on online gambling advertising
• A complete prohibition on bonuses, including sign-up offers and free bets
• A single deposit limit applied across every licensed site
• Mandatory affordability checks for any player who wants to raise that limit
• A possible cap on the total number of online licenses issued

These proposed measures build on existing safeguards, including a €700 monthly deposit ceiling for most players and a stricter €300 limit for those aged 18 to 24. The earlier plan to raise the minimum gambling age from 18 to 21 has been shelved for now. The cabinet says it will only revisit that step once enforcement against illegal operators is working effectively.

Why the Cabinet Is Acting Now

The proposal comes as the Netherlands’ regulated market loses ground to offshore competitors. Channelization (the share of play that stays with licensed operators) fell below 50% in the first half of 2025, meaning unlicensed sites now capture most gambling spend in the country.

That is a sharp reversal from roughly 20% illegal market share in 2021, just after the regulated market opened. Tens of thousands of unlicensed sites remain reachable from Dutch IP addresses, and regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has leaned on record fines to push back.

“My focus lies primarily on legislation to improve protection in online gambling, particularly for vulnerable groups such as young adults. A firm approach to the illegal supply and participation is necessary, because illegal gambling offers no protection and the risk of gambling-related harm is therefore much greater.”

Claudia van Bruggen, State Secretary for Justice and Security

The KSA recently issued a €24.8 million penalty against Qbet, the largest unlicensed operator targeting Dutch players, and flagged crypto and anonymous payments as aggravating factors in its enforcement. Officials acknowledge the new ban “must be built with enforceability in mind to prevent evasion.”

Implications for Dutch Players

For players choosing where to gamble, the immediate effect is a quieter market with fewer promotions. Dutch casino bonuses would disappear from licensed sites if the bill passes in its current form.

The trade-off is the central risk regulators are weighing. Stripping bonuses and advertising from licensed Netherlands casinos could push price-sensitive players toward unregulated operators that offer exactly those incentives. That is the opposite of the policy’s intent.

An affordability study underpinning the deposit cap is not due until the first half of 2027, so several details remain unsettled. As parliament works through the bill this summer, Netherlands online gambling rules could be set for a major update.