bet365 and GGPoker secure new five-year Dutch licences
Eight major online gambling operators have secured new five-year licences in the Netherlands as the country’s original batch of regulated iGaming permits approaches expiry.
The Dutch Gambling Authority, Kansspelautoriteit, has issued follow-on licences covering October 2026 through September 2031, with some of the operators including TOTO Online, Holland Casino, Play North, FPO Nederland, Bingoal Nederland, Hillside New Media Malta, NSUS Malta and Betent.
Those companies operate some of the Netherlands most recognisable gambling sites, including TOTO, Winnitt, Holland Casino Online, Kansino, FairPlay Casino, Bingoal, bet365, GGPoker (GGPoker review) and BetCity.
The licences are particularly significant because they represent the first major relicensing exercise since regulated online gambling launched in the Netherlands in October 2021.
Original licences issued at the market’s opening expire at the end of September.
The KSA said regulatory conduct during operators’ first five years in the market formed part of the new assessment process.
For the first time, the regulator explicitly examined violations that had become final during the previous five years.
Operators were required to explain how they had remedied identified breaches and what measures had been introduced to prevent them recurring.
The KSA said some applicants had been given additional areas requiring attention following those assessments, but all eight ultimately satisfied the requirements for new licences.
“With the new licences they can continue their activities in the Dutch online gambling market for the next five years,” the regulator said.
Dutch relicensing requirements have also been tightened more broadly. Since January, applicants have been required to provide an exit plan explaining how gambling operations would be wound down if a licence ended.
Operators must also demonstrate arrangements for protecting player funds and provide information covering responsible gambling, control databases and other compliance systems.
The Dutch regulated gambling market has undergone substantial changes since its 2021 launch, including tougher advertising restrictions, player-protection measures and affordability-related deposit rules.
