Five years on, the first licences are up for renewal
The Netherlands opened its regulated online gambling market on 1 October 2021. The first licences were granted for five years, and they run out at the end of September 2026. That makes the Dutch renewal round one of the first big tests of how a mature regulated market handles its incumbents.
The regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), changed its licensing policy rules with effect from 1 January 2026 to prepare for the expiry. Operators were told in advance that their renewal applications would be judged against the new standards, which put more weight on compliance transparency and consumer protection.
Who has been renewed
Several operators announced their renewals during the summer. TOTO Online and Holland Casino both disclosed five-year extensions in early August, with the new licences starting on 1 October 2026. Fair Play, Kansino and Bingoal also announced that they had secured new five-year licences.
In mid-September, the KSA confirmed the first eight follow-up licences, valid from October 2026 through September 2031. The list covers TOTO Online with its TOTO and Winnitt brands, Holland Casino Online, Play North Limited with its Kansino brand, FPO Nederland with FairPlay Casino, Bingoal Nederland, Hillside (New Media Malta), which operates Bet365 in the Dutch market, NSUS Malta with GG Poker, and Betent, which runs Betcity.
The mix of names is worth noticing. Several of the renewed operators are Malta-based companies serving the Dutch market, alongside the state-owned Holland Casino and the Nederlandse Loterij-owned TOTO. The renewal therefore covers both established domestic players and international brands.
What the renewal means for operators
A follow-up licence is more than a formality. The KSA’s revised rules raised the bar for applications, so an operator holding a renewed licence has effectively passed a second review against stricter criteria. Renewal confirms that the regulator is satisfied for now, but it also sets a new baseline for the next five years.
The licences also come with ongoing duties. Holland Casino’s renewal, for example, ties the operator to the regulator’s requirements on duty of care, consumer protection and safe play for the full five-year term. Those duties apply throughout the licence, not only at the point of renewal.
Applications now need more evidence
A Dutch law firm’s summary of the new rules lists several additional items for applicants, including a Wwft risk analysis under the country’s anti-money laundering framework. Operators preparing future applications should treat the documentation burden as a permanent change rather than a one-off.
Why the Dutch market matters
The Dutch market has been closely watched since it opened, because it was one of the first European markets to move from a closed system to a licensed one. Its results have been mixed. Licensed operators have found it difficult to attract players away from the illegal market, which remains a persistent competitor.
That tension sits at the heart of the renewal debate. A stricter regulator can protect players and the public purse, but it can also raise costs for licensed operators to the point where the illegal market becomes more attractive. The renewal round gives both the regulator and operators a chance to show how that balance can be struck.
What to watch next
- Whether the remaining licence holders receive their follow-up decisions on time, since some were still waiting for outcomes in late summer.
- How the revised policy rules are applied in practice, particularly on documentation.
- Whether the share held by the illegal market changes once the renewals are complete.
Enforcement and the illegal market
The renewal round does not sit in isolation. Licensed operators have found it hard to win players from the unlicensed market, and that competition shapes how the regulator and the industry think about the next cycle. A renewal process that tightens conditions for licensed brands could, in theory, widen the gap in price and product that pushes players elsewhere. Regulators tend to argue the opposite: that clear rules and visible enforcement make the legal market the safer choice.
Whichever view prevails, the practical point for operators is that compliance now has to be evidenced. Duty-of-care tools, affordability checks and marketing controls are easier to defend when they are documented and tested. A licence holder that cannot show how its controls work will find the next review far harder than the last.
Player protection expectations
Licence conditions in the Netherlands place strong emphasis on safe play. Operators are expected to protect vulnerable players, prevent problem gambling and treat consumer protection as an active duty rather than a policy statement. Advertising rules are a particular focus, so marketing partners need the same level of scrutiny as the operator itself.
That has practical consequences for affiliates and content partners. Any promotion that reaches Dutch players should be checked against the current rules on advertising, including who is allowed to appear in it. Operators will expect their partners to follow the same standards, and a breach by an affiliate can still carry consequences for the licence holder.
What the timeline looks like
- September 2021: the first five-year licences are granted, and the regulated market opens on 1 October 2021.
- 1 January 2026: the KSA’s revised licensing policy rules take effect.
- 5 to 6 August 2026: several operators announce their renewed licences.
- Mid-September 2026: the KSA confirms the first eight follow-up licences.
- 1 October 2026: the new five-year licences start, and the first cycle ends.
What the renewal process signals for newcomers
Anyone thinking about entering the Dutch market should read the renewal process as a guide to what the regulator will expect from a new applicant. The documentation list is longer, the expectations on compliance evidence are higher, and the regulator has shown it will publish a clear timetable for renewals rather than leave operators guessing.
A realistic entry plan therefore allows time for the licensing review, not just the commercial launch. Operators that treat the application as a formality tend to find that the process takes longer than expected, and that a gap in one area of the file can hold up the whole application. Early legal and compliance input is cheaper than a late rewrite.
The renewal round also shows that the regulator values continuity. Operators that have run a clean, documented business for five years are in a stronger position than those that have only recently arrived, and that is a fair test of whether a company is ready to be trusted with a licence.
Our analysis
One possible explanation for the orderly renewal is that operators prepared early and the rules were published well in advance. The announcements suggest, though do not prove, that the regulator wanted continuity rather than a wholesale reset of the market.
Final thoughts
The Dutch renewal round shows that a licence in a regulated market is a renewable commitment, not a permanent asset. Operators that treat compliance as an ongoing job will find the next five years easier than those who saw the first licence as the finish line.
Follow Business of iGaming for regular updates on the Dutch market and other European licensing changes, and get in touch if you want to discuss how these rules apply to your own operations.
