Online gambling in the Netherlands

Online gambling is regulated and legal in the Netherlands, with over 25 different operators accepting bets in this part of the world. The top Netherlands gambling sites include wagering giants like BetMGM and Leo Vegas, although as part of operating here they must host their website on local URLs. The most popular forms of online gambling in the Netherlands include sports betting, online casinos, including slots and live dealer, and various lotteries. Gambling sites advertised to Dutch readers of the World Gambling List are licensed by the Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) and abide by all stipulations placed on them. Our Dutch gambling guide will break down everything you need to know, to successfully get started gambling online, with this including the top gambling sites, latest rules surrounding welcome offers and inducements, payment options, best apps and much more. 

Top Dutch gambling sites in the Netherlands

The top gambling sites in the Netherlands are licensed to operate by the KSA or Dutch Gambling Authority, with the regulator the main body that keeps the industry safe. The best KSA sanctioned gambling sites will give you access to thousands of real money casino games, sports betting and other forms of sanctioned wagering. 

Online gambling sites in the Netherlands can be accessed via both computer and mobile, with many featuring downloadable apps for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. These gambling apps are perfectly legal and available after you have registered an account at your chosen operator. 

The best online gambling sites in the Netherlands include brands like 888Sports, BetMGM and even bet365, although in total there are upwards of 30 different options. These gambling sites have strict rules placed on them, including that you must be 18 to gamble online, and cannot accept bonus offers until you are 24, which has been a way of curbing youth gambling. 

The most popular way to access gambling sites in the Netherlands is via handheld device, with the aforementioned Android and iOS gambling apps a common way to play casino games, or even wager on sports events, and enter lotteries. These gambling sites can also be accessed via your web browser, including on mobile, with this important for those on different types of smartphones and tablets. 

The most popular gambling games at Netherlands gambling sites include online slots, live dealer blackack and roulette and even titles like Video Poker and Keno, which have major followings among the Dutch. 

Basically, as long as a gambling website is KSA-sanctioned and abides by their license, they will be able to operate in the Netherlands. 

Netherlands real money gambling games

Netherlands residents have got a plethora of casino games and real money gambling pursuits they can partake in legally. These include the most popular casino games like online slots, table games (baccarat, roulette, blackack etc) and even versions of online electronic games, like video poker. 

With the Dutch republic being formed in 1588, the country has a very diverse history and this stretches to gambling, with several traditional games being played for stakes, with this including Sjoelen and Klaverassen, which is a Dutch trick taking game. 

The forms of online gambling available in Holland include: 

Gambling Guides

Legal online casinos accept customers from the Netherlands. Use our gambling guides to find your way through the process of playing real money casino and virtual games.

• Online Casinos
• Choosing a Casino
• Online blackjack
• Online Slots
• Casino Games
• Funding gambling accounts

Online Poker

Poker is popular in the Netherlands and various online poker sites accept players from this region. Top players in the Netherlands include Teun Mulder and Jorryt van Hoof. You can navigate our poker coverage here.

• Rules & Types
• Texas Hold’em
• Omaha
• 5 Card Draw
• Online Poker
• Beginner’s Poker Guide
• Greatest poker players

Casino Games & Rules

Are you a beginner to online gambling? Check out our casino games and rules guides to get started. Most casino games are available at Netherlands gambling sites

• Blackjack
• Roulette
• Baccarat
• Slots
• Video Poker
• Casino Games

Sports gambling

Dutch residents gamble on many different sports including football, tennis, field hockey, basketball, athletics, winter sports and various others.

• Football betting
• Basketball betting
• FIFA World Cup
• Tennis betting
• Eredivisie
• Hoofdklasse Hockey
• Sports betting

Live gambling sites

Live casinos are very popular globally and Dutch can legally access them. Check out our live casino guides to learn more. Popular software includes Evolution, Pragmatic Play Live and Playtech.

• Live Roulette
• Live Blackjack
• Live Baccarat
• Live dealer casinos

Horse Racing

Horse racing is niche but has a passionate following in the Netherlands. You can view our coverage of the thoroughbreds via these links.

• Horse Racing
• Australian Horse Racing
• Hong Kong Horse Racing
• The World’s Top 10 Races
• World’s best jockeys
• World’s best trainers

Traditional gambling games in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has a very rich history in gambling and boasts one of the oldest lottery-style draws in the world, having first been held in the 1700s. These days it is heavily regulated, but remains very popular. The Dutch also have several traditional games they have played for many years, with small stakes often involved.

Online gambling in the Netherlands

In the Dutch gambling market, online casino games such as video slots dominate, alongside table games like blackjack, roulette and live-dealer variants. Online slots are often cited as the most popular category for Dutch players. 

Sports betting remains a strong feature as well — especially on major football leagues (domestic and international), field hockey, cycling and speed-skating. 

Legally, online gambling became regulated under the Remote Gambling Act (Wet Kansspelen op Afstand) which came into force in April 2021 and took full effect from October 2021.  Both sports betting, online casino games, lotteries and horse-race betting fall under the broader “games of chance” regime and can be legal if the operator holds a licence from the regulator. 

The single national regulator is the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) which supervises all land-based and online gambling in the Netherlands. 

Regarding operators licensed in the Caribbean (such as those with a licence from Curaçao): using a Curaçao licence does not exempt an operator from Dutch regulation. If the operator targets or accepts Dutch players without a Dutch licence then it is still illegal in the Netherlands. The KSA has in fact fined such operators.

On the sports side, online gambling is particularly popular on football (domestic Eredivisie and major international leagues), field hockey (especially given the national team’s success), cycling events and speed-skating. 

Best gambling apps in the Netherlands

Gambling apps are a very popular way to access real money casino games and sports betting in the Netherlands, with these generally coming on Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. 

To legally offer a gambling apps services in the Netherlands the company must hold a valid gambling license and abide by all restrictions placed on their app, including age verification and all relevant checks. 

Real money gambling apps allow you to access thousands of casino games, sports betting and various other forms of real money gambling, but there are plenty of caveats to this sweeping statement. Including that gambling apps must be licensed by the KSA. 

iOS gambling apps can be downloaded directly from the App Store, and as a general rule, you will only find operators that are licensed in the Netherlands available inside these borders. For instance, brands like Leo Vegas, BetMGM, 888Sports and others are all licensed by the KSA and can legally offer their apps via the App Store. 

Android gambling apps are a little bit murkier when discussing their accessibility, with these apps being able to be downloaded from the Google Play store, or directly from gambling sites themselves. 

Firstly, lets touch on Google Play and their iGaming policy, which essentially allows gambling apps in the Netherlands as long as they have KSA licensing and abide by all restrictions placed on them via their license. Some of the precautions they insist on include geo-blocking any restricted territories, age checks and following Google’s broader policy for gambling. 

Secondly, gambling apps on Android devices can also be downloaded directly from operators, with these known as non-market or third party apps. Often these types of gambling apps in the Netherlands will be illegal operators, that don’t hold a Dutch gambling license. The World Gambling List chooses not to market these apps to our readers. 

Gambling laws in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has been one of the biggest proponents of a regulated gambling market in Europe, and their laws reflect this, with a safe and growing industry in operation. 

Gambling in the Netherlands is tightly regulated both on the ground and online, with a strong focus on player-protection, licensing, and curbing illegal operations. 

For land-based gambling, this means that games of chance in casinos, gaming machines and lotteries may only be offered by entities with specific permits from municipal authorities or the national regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).

For online gambling, it means a growing focus on curbing offshore operators that are targeting the Netherlands, with enforcement doing things like IP blocking, which essentially stops Dutch citizens from accessing illegal gambling sites without a VPN. 

Gambling operators in the Netherlands must be registered in the Central Exclusion Register (CRUKS) so that persons excluded due to problem gambling cannot participate. 

When it comes to online gambling, the rules changed significantly with the introduction of the Remote Gambling Act (Wet Kansspelen op Afstand or KOA), which came into force April 2021, with the first licences becoming available in October of 2021.

Under this regime, online sports betting, casino-style games, virtual games and other remote games of chance are legal only if the provider holds a Dutch licence and complies with player-protection rules, age-verification, CRUKS linkage, anti-money-laundering and advertising restrictions.

Lotteries and horse racing are also covered — for lotteries, the state retains oversight and in some cases monopoly arrangements (for example through the Nederlandse Loterij), and for horse racing betting, special permits and regulation apply within the general “games of chance” framework. The government website notes that all games of chance (including sports betting, lotteries, casino games and online) must be licensed.

Across the board the Dutch regime emphasises responsible gambling: operators must monitor player behaviour, set spending-limits, intervene when risk is detected, and ensure advertising complies with strict rules. A 2024 update introduced limits for new online gamblers, enhanced spending limits and required neutral presentation of “set your own limit” screens. 

Key pieces of legislation governing gambling in the Netherlands include:

• Betting and Gambling Act (Wet op de Kansspelen)
• Remote Gambling Act (Wet Kansspelen op Afstand)
• Remote Gambling Decree (Besluit Kansspelen op Afstand)
• Regulation on Advertising and Recruitment, Addiction Prevention (Besluit Werving, Reclame en Verslavingspreventie Kansspelen)
• Regulation on Gambling Limits and Conscious Play (Regeling Speellimieten en Bewuster Speelgedrag)
• Slot Machines Decree (Speelautomatenbesluit 2000)

Euro payments at Dutch gambling sites

While the Dutch guilder currency is a thing of the past, with the Netherlands conforming with the bulk of Eurozone countries that switched to the Euro, they still have some distinct payment options at iGaming websites.

Arguably the no.1 payment method at Dutch gambling sites is iDeal, with this option allowing you to pay directly from your own bank account. The one catch? You must hold a Dutch bank account and be set up for internet bank. After that, you will be free to register and deposit at licensed gambling sites.

Other popular payment methods at Dutch gambling sites include credit and debit cards, web wallets (like Neteller and Apple Pay) and various other mobile and online options.

The bulk of payment options at Euro gambling sites are instant and fee free. Unlike other European countries though, Dutch gambling sites do not allow cryptocurrency payments.

The full list of available payment options at Netherlands gambling sites includes:

• iDeal
• Visa
• Mastercard
• Maestro
• Neteller
• Skrill
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay
• Paysafecard
• ecoPayz

Gambling history in the Netherlands

Gambling has long been part of Dutch society, with the Staatsloterij (State Lottery) dating back to 1726, making it one of the oldest continuously operating lotteries in the world. As games of chance spread through cafés and social clubs in the 19th century, the need for regulation became apparent — by 1851 the Netherlands introduced its first formal restrictions on games of chance. 

The modern gambling framework began with the Betting and Gaming Act (Wet op de Kansspelen) of 1964, which defined and regulated land-based casinos, lotteries and betting. In October 1976 the state-owned company Holland Casino opened the first legal land-based casino in Zandvoort under monopoly licence.

Meanwhile the regulatory body Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) was formally established in 2012 to supervise and enforce gambling laws. The rise of the internet brought offshore casinos into the Dutch market, and the government found it increasingly difficult to police un-licensed foreign operators. In response, the Remote Gambling Act (Wet Kansspelen op Afstand) came into force on 1 April 2021, with licensing of online gambling from 1 October 2021 — signalling a clamp-down on offshore and unregulated sites. 

From lotteries and canal-side card tables to mobile betting apps, the gambling landscape in the Netherlands has evolved dramatically and continued to expand. These days, real money gambling can be done at the 13-landed casinos, via the internet, including gambling apps and sports betting sites. 

Casinos in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has got 14 casinos across the country and they are all owned by the Dutch government, making them one of the most unique countries with regulated casinos. The casinos in the Netherlands are all part of the Holland Casino Group and are in most major cities.

Dutch gambling FAQ

Do you have a question about online gambling in the Netherlands? Drop us a message in the box below or email us at contact@worldgamblinglist.com.