Dutch Regulator Expands Gambling Enforcement to Affiliates and Media in Landmark Crackdown

The Netherlands’ gambling regulation entered a new phase in July 2025 as the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) significantly expanded its enforcement scope, extending its oversight beyond licensed operators to include affiliates, media organisations, and marketing agencies. This development represents a decisive shift in the regulator’s strategy, designed to dismantle the broader ecosystem that sustains illegal and non-compliant gambling activity across the Dutch market.

For the first time, the KSA has issued penalty orders directly targeting affiliates, imposing fines of up to €225,000 on companies such as SBM Holding Group, Sun Block Media Labs 2.0, and JEF Holdings, which operate Casinoscount.nl. These penalties mark the beginning of a new era of affiliate accountability, as the regulator signals that responsibility for compliance no longer stops at the operator level.

The enforcement campaign has also extended to licensed operators. ZEbetting and Betca were formally warned for offering prohibited single-set tennis bets, a move that underscores the KSA’s broader stance on enforcement and its focus on preventing betting activity linked to match-fixing risks.

Marketing and advertising restrictions remain central to the regulator’s agenda. Alongside the sanctions imposed on affiliates, the KSA has instructed media outlets to avoid publishing or hosting content associated with unlicensed gambling platforms operating outside the Cruks self-exclusion register. The regulator’s ongoing discussions with the Advertising Code Foundation and market associations demonstrate its intent to ensure that the Netherlands’ online casino advertising ban is enforced comprehensively.

This intensified enforcement strategy follows growing political and public concern over player protection and the perceived normalization of gambling advertising. Authorities are reportedly considering additional measures, including raising the minimum legal gambling age to 21, implementing centralized deposit limits, and maintaining the existing ban on all sports sponsorships. Through these steps, the KSA aims to reinforce that gambling compliance in the Netherlands requires proactive risk management and genuine safeguards rather than simple procedural compliance or “box-ticking.”

The penalties imposed on affiliates represent a regulatory turning point. Historically, enforcement within the Dutch gambling market focused almost exclusively on licensed operators, leaving promotional partners largely untouched. By extending liability to affiliates and marketing agencies, the KSA is adopting a model similar to those seen in Scandinavian jurisdictions while going further than traditional enforcement practices in most EU member states.

The evolving Dutch framework now reflects a dual objective: ensuring strict consumer protection while acknowledging the rising compliance costs this entails for regulated operators. Although financial sanctions may reduce the visibility of illegal platforms and discourage non-compliant activity, they also raise operational and reputational risks for licensed companies that depend on affiliate marketing networks.

In the long term, the central question remains whether these tougher rules can effectively curb black-market activity without undermining the competitiveness and stability of the regulated sector itself. The KSA’s latest measures suggest that the regulator is willing to accept that trade-off, prioritizing consumer protection and market integrity over commercial convenience as it continues to redefine gambling regulation in the Netherlands.

By fLEXI tEAM