Belgium’s and the Netherlands’ gambling regulators have issued warnings to operators over gambling ad restrictions connected to the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026.On May...
Dutch government to fully ban gambling advertisements
The government of the Netherlands has announced plans to potentially introduce a blanket ban on gambling advertisements after investigations found that the country’s self-exclusion system has major gaps.
Parliamentary responses have revealed that the national self-exclusion system, Cruks, has not been fully protecting users from unlicensed gambling operators and their marketing campaigns, while the State Secretary, Claudia van Bruggen, noted that licensed operators can’t use the system to verify the status of all advertisement recipients.
Van Bruggen stated:
“The government is working in line with the coalition agreement to further tighten gambling advertising rules, particularly to protect vulnerable groups. At the same time, instruments such as Cruks remain limited to the regulated market. They cannot prevent access to illegal providers or fully eliminate exposure to advertising.”
However, VNLOK, the group representing licensed operators in the Netherlands, has argued that such restrictions on ads would make it harder for players to differentiate between licensed and unregulated platforms.
Chairman of VNLOK, Björn Fuchs, commented:
“The Dutch gambling policy is deliberately designed around an open, regulated market with strict requirements for duty of care, advertising, and supervision. That system only works if the legal, safe offer also remains visible to the player. A total ban on advertising undermines exactly that starting point.”
Despite the country having one of the strictest controls on gambling ads in Europe, the government of the Netherlands has once again stressed that enforcement action against illegal operators is still a priority.
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