Dutch Gambling Ad Ban Risks Pushing Players Offshore as Legal Share Falls Below 50%
The Dutch cabinet plans to ban all online gambling ads and bonuses, risking a shift of players to unlicensed offshore sites.Summary
The Dutch cabinet announced a strict new package of measures on June 12, 2026, aiming to ban all online gambling advertising and bonuses, prohibit sign-up free bets, and impose an overarching deposit limit with affordability checks. These proposals represent the strictest tightening of the market since it opened in 2021. The measures are driven by concerns that more people, especially young people, are gambling online and facing financial difficulties. However, the plan risks pushing players toward unlicensed offshore operators, a market that already captures the majority of Dutch gambling spend. According to data from the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the licensed share of gambling spend fell below 50% in the first half of 2025, meaning illegal operators now take the majority of the money. This shift has been exacerbated by previous regulations, such as monthly deposit limits and tax increases. The cabinet acknowledges the risk of leakage, noting that tens of thousands of illegal sites are active in the country. The scale of the illegal market and the use of crypto and anonymous payments were highlighted in a major case involving Qbet, the largest unlicensed Dutch platform. The cabinet pairs the ban with tougher enforcement to prevent evasion, but the effectiveness of the measures remains uncertain. The bill must clear the House of Representatives, and the affordability study underpinning the deposit cap is not expected until the first half of 2027.
(Source：Bitcoin News)