Dutch Gambling Reform Targets Ads and Bonuses as Player Protection Pressure Grows

The Netherlands is preparing another major tightening of its online gambling market, with the government moving toward a full ban on online gambling advertising and bonuses.

The proposal forms part of a wider reform package aimed at reducing gambling harm, strengthening player protection and giving the Dutch gambling regulator more power over both licensed and illegal operators. If implemented, the measures would mark one of the most restrictive approaches to online gambling marketing in Europe.

The Dutch market has already gone through several rounds of advertising restrictions since online gambling was legalised in October 2021. However, policymakers now appear to believe that the existing framework has not gone far enough.

From Legalisation to Restriction

The Netherlands opened its regulated online gambling market in 2021 through the Remote Gambling Act. The original policy objective was channelisation: moving players away from offshore websites and into a licensed system where operators could be supervised, taxed and required to follow consumer protection rules.

That opening, however, was followed by an explosion in gambling advertising. Operators competed aggressively for market share, and Dutch politicians, addiction experts and consumer groups quickly raised concerns about the visibility of gambling brands, especially among young adults.

The government responded by introducing a ban on untargeted gambling advertising from July 2023. That measure restricted mass-market advertising through television, radio, print media and public outdoor spaces. Online advertising remained possible, but only under strict targeting rules designed to avoid minors, young adults and vulnerable players.

Further restrictions followed. Gambling sponsorship of programmes and events was phased out, and sports sponsorship restrictions were tightened. By 2025, the Netherlands had already moved far away from the liberal advertising environment that existed when the market first opened.

The latest proposal goes further again. Instead of limiting how gambling advertising is targeted, the government is now considering removing online gambling advertising and bonuses altogether.

Why Bonuses Are Being Targeted

The proposed bonus ban is particularly important because bonuses are one of the main tools used by online gambling operators to acquire and retain customers.

Deposit bonuses, free spins, cashback offers, risk-free bets and loyalty rewards can all encourage players to gamble more frequently or continue gambling after losses. Regulators often view these promotions as especially sensitive because they can blur the line between entertainment and inducement.

The Dutch regulator has already shown concern about this area. The KSA previously ordered operators to stop offering cashback bonuses, arguing that such promotions can encourage excessive gambling. The wider move toward a full bonus ban would build on that logic by treating promotional incentives as a structural risk to player protection.

For operators, this would be a serious commercial change. Bonuses and advertising are not secondary features of the online gambling business model. They are core acquisition tools.

A full ban would make it harder for licensed operators to compete for new customers, especially against offshore platforms that ignore Dutch rules.

The Black-Market Risk

The strongest criticism of a full advertising ban is that it may unintentionally strengthen the illegal market.

The logic is straightforward. Licensed operators must follow Dutch rules. Illegal operators do not. If licensed operators are prevented from advertising, offering bonuses or clearly communicating their legal status to consumers, players may struggle to distinguish between regulated and unregulated platforms.

This is already a concern for the KSA. The regulator has warned that illegal gambling operators remain active online and use social media and other digital channels to reach Dutch players. In 2026, the KSA intensified action against illegal gambling advertisements on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, filing thousands of reports against unlawful promotions.

This creates a policy dilemma. A stricter regime may reduce exposure to licensed gambling advertising, but it may also weaken the visibility of the legal market. If consumers still want to gamble, some may end up with offshore operators that offer stronger bonuses, fewer checks and less protection.

That is the central tension in the Dutch debate: protecting players without making the regulated market so unattractive that players migrate to illegal alternatives.

Stronger Player Protection Measures

The advertising and bonus proposals are part of a broader reform agenda. Dutch policymakers are also looking at deposit limits, affordability controls and stronger intervention duties for operators.

The Netherlands has already introduced stricter deposit-limit rules. Players who want to set high deposit limits must go through additional contact with operators, while young adults face lower thresholds. Operators are also expected to assess whether players can afford higher levels of gambling activity.

These measures show that the Dutch system is moving toward a more interventionist model. The regulator and government are no longer relying only on disclosure, warnings or self-exclusion tools. They are increasingly expecting operators to monitor behaviour, identify risk and intervene before gambling harm escalates.

A full advertising and bonus ban would sit within that same philosophy. The aim is not only to punish bad operators, but to change the structure of the market so that fewer players are pushed toward risky gambling behaviour in the first place.

Political Pressure Behind the Reform

The latest reform also reflects political pressure. Gambling has become a more sensitive issue in the Netherlands since the legal market opened. Public concern increased after the rapid growth of online gambling brands and the visibility of betting promotions in sport and media.

Political parties have increasingly questioned whether the 2021 market opening delivered the right balance between consumer freedom, tax revenue and harm prevention. The current direction suggests that the government believes the balance needs to shift more heavily toward protection.

This does not mean the Netherlands is reversing legalisation. The country is not trying to close the regulated online gambling market altogether. Instead, it appears to be trying to keep the market legal but make it more tightly controlled, less promotional and less dependent on aggressive customer acquisition.

Operators Face a Difficult Adjustment

For licensed operators, the proposed reforms would create a difficult commercial environment.

A ban on advertising would reduce brand visibility. A ban on bonuses would reduce promotional flexibility. Stronger deposit and affordability controls would limit high-risk revenue. At the same time, gambling tax in the Netherlands has also become more burdensome, adding further pressure to operator margins.

This combination could reshape the market. Larger operators with stronger brands and existing customer bases may be better able to survive. Smaller or newer operators may struggle to grow without advertising and bonus tools.

There is also a risk that some operators may reconsider the Dutch market altogether if compliance costs rise while legal marketing channels disappear. That would reduce competition in the licensed sector, although policymakers may accept that outcome if they believe it improves player protection.

A Wider European Trend

The Dutch debate is part of a wider European trend. Several countries are tightening gambling advertising rules, particularly around sport, young adults and online marketing.

Belgium has already moved toward very strict advertising restrictions. France has debated tighter rules around sports betting exposure during major events. The UK has placed increasing emphasis on affordability checks and safer gambling duties. Across Europe, regulators are becoming less willing to treat gambling advertising as ordinary commercial speech.

The Netherlands is therefore not acting in isolation. It is part of a broader shift in which gambling regulation is moving from market opening to market correction.

The early phase of online gambling regulation focused on bringing offshore activity into the legal system. The next phase is about controlling the social costs of that legalisation.

The Key Test: Protection Without Displacement

The success of the Dutch reforms will depend on whether they reduce gambling harm without pushing players toward illegal operators.

If the reforms reduce aggressive marketing, limit harmful incentives and improve affordability controls, they may become a model for stricter regulation across Europe. But if they weaken the regulated market while offshore operators continue to advertise through social media and search channels, the policy could backfire.

That is why enforcement against illegal gambling will be just as important as restrictions on licensed operators. A legal market cannot function if compliant operators are heavily restricted while illegal competitors remain visible and accessible.

The Netherlands is now testing how far a regulated gambling market can be tightened before channelisation begins to suffer. The answer will matter far beyond the Dutch market.

For now, the direction is clear. The Netherlands is no longer simply regulating online gambling. It is actively trying to reduce the influence of gambling promotion itself.

By fLEXI tEAM