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KSA updates licensing conditions for Dutch gambling market
The Netherlands is introducing new rules for online gambling licenses, aimed at keeping the market steady ahead of the next renewal round.
The move, scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2026, comes in preparation for the expiry of current five-year licenses, first issued in September 2021 and due to end on 1 October 2026. Any operator seeking a license will be required to submit a comprehensive exit plan detailing how they intend to leave the market if their authorization is terminated.
Under the revised framework, the exit plans must address several areas: legal and financial obligations, organizational and technical processes, and communication measures.
An important condition under the new rules is that operators must clearly show how they plan to process customer payouts quickly and reliably, especially when it comes to withdrawals. Aimed at protecting players while keeping the market stable if an operator leaves, the regulator has also tightened its checks on reliability. Companies that have ignored or failed to comply with Dutch court decisions will now face tougher scrutiny and could be ruled out of the licensing process altogether.
Applicants seeking license renewal will need to demonstrate full compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) rules and duty of care obligations. The KSA explained that the five-year license term was set with the intention to give the authority time to draw on lessons learned from the first licensing period when assessing future applications.
If an operator’s justification is insufficient, the KSA will either refuse to renew the license or attach stricter conditions to its approval.
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