Online Gambling Licensing in the Netherlands: What Wet Koa Actually Requires

In March 2026, the KSA issued its largest-ever fine against an illegal operator: €24.846 million against Novatech, which the regulator said had earned hundreds of millions from Dutch players without a licence, on top of a €1.795 million fine against Fortaprime SRL for similar conduct, including promotion by Dutch social media influencers. Both operators had received prior warnings and cease-and-desist orders and continued anyway. None of the internationally licensed casinos in our own data hold a KSA licence. Given that enforcement climate, we are publishing this page as a licensing explainer rather than a recommendation list.

The KSA publishes the Kansspelwijzer, its public register of operators permitted to offer gambling in the Netherlands. Search the operator there directly before depositing. A licence from Curaçao, Malta or the UK is not the same as a Dutch KOA licence — offering online gambling in the Netherlands requires a licence under Article 31a of the Wet op de kansspelen specifically. Do not rely on a badge or claim on the casino’s own site; licences, domains and permitted activities can change.

CRUKS (Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen) is the Netherlands’ national self-exclusion database, and connection to it is a licensing requirement for KSA-licensed operators, online and land-based alike. Registration, done via DigiD, blocks access across every licensed operator at once. The minimum exclusion period is six months; once a gambling stop has begun, it cannot simply be cancelled before the applicable minimum period. After that minimum period, a player can request removal, subject to the applicable procedure. CRUKS also permits involuntary registration, where a family member or an operator can request someone be added, subject to KSA review.

The Dutch gambling tax (kansspelbelasting) rate is 37.8% as of 1 January 2026. At a KSA-licensed online operator, the operator handles the applicable gambling-tax obligation, so the player does not file a separate kansspelbelasting return for those winnings. At an operator without a Dutch licence, the player may have to declare the applicable tax themselves. For unlicensed online gambling, the taxable result is generally determined using the winnings and stakes for the relevant calendar month, rather than carrying losses from one month into another. Sources can differ in how they present applicable thresholds and exemptions, so players should check the Belastingdienst’s current guidance before filing.

An operator needs a KOA licence under Article 31a to legally offer online gambling in the Netherlands. The licensing framework covers requirements including player protection, technical systems, financial arrangements and supervision, including a working and tested CRUKS connection and a control database accessible to the KSA.

Since 1 January 2026, the Remote Gambling Policy Rules 2026 include an exit-plan requirement for licence applications. Under Article 2.4, applicants must document how they would wind down their Dutch offering if the licence were not renewed, suspended or revoked. The 2026 policy framework also addresses risk analysis and compliance requirements under the Dutch anti-money-laundering framework (WWFT). The exit-plan requirement was introduced ahead of the first wave of five-year licence renewals originating from the opening of the regulated Dutch online market in October 2021.

If gambling is becoming difficult to control, the KSA directs players to official support resources, and CRUKS can be used to take a gambling stop across licensed Dutch gambling providers.