Casino Payment Trends in 2025: iDEAL Preferred, But Tighter KYC & Limits Change the Funnel

Laws regarding online gambling in the Netherlands are strict. With know your customer protocols and the Cruks system in place, it takes some time to sign up and log on to a licensed casino. The preferred payment method is iDEAL, available only in the Netherlands. However, recent changes have disrupted the preferred payment method funnel.

iDEAL in the Netherlands

The payment method iDeal is currently one of the most popular in the Netherlands. It allows consumers to make electronic payments through their bank. They can go to their bank's online app or a banking environment, then transfer directly to a merchant. All it requires is the IBAN of one customer and the IBAN of another. It is suitable for direct payments and post payments that require a simple link. This can take the form of a QR code, email, text message or WhatsApp link.

Digital transactions have been growing in popularity in the Netherlands over the past few years. When it comes to paying in a shop, debit cards lead the way, but their share has dropped from 60% in 2023 to a predicted 48% by 2027. The market share of this has been reduced by the rise in digital wallets, which has moved from 18% to 35%. Credit cards are being used less commonly, at around 37.45%.

When it comes to paying for online gambling services in the Netherlands, iDeal remains the preferred method. Around 80% of deposits to online casinos are made using this. However, there are others that are catching up. These include Paysafecard, Skrill, Neteller and bank cards.

Oddly, not all casinos accept iDeal despite it being very popular. A list of the best iDEAL casinos in the Netherlands is available to help rank which ones do, also showing how they compare for game selection, customer service and other factors. Sites like this have been another key factor in helping consumers make informed decisions and keeping them away from offshore operators.

Tighter KYC in Dutch Online Gambling

Know your customer (KYC) is a term given to the verification of identities. It is used by financial institutions and gambling companies, so that they can verify who the people are using their services. It can help assess any potential risks associated with the transaction or service agreement.

The Dutch government is notorious for its strict compliance with gambling. One feature licensees must follow is the KYC procedure, so they can verify who is using their platform. This involves a KYC check, which must involve the provision of the player's name, age, gender, address and contact details before they can begin playing games.

The recent tightening of the KYC laws in the Netherlands has had an adverse impact. A study by the Kansspelautoriteit, which is the Netherlands Gambling Authority, estimated that €305m had gone to illegal gambling sites. This was compared to €306m going to legal sites in the same period, a change from before the regulations, when around 58% was going to legal sites.

Introduced in October 2024, these changes included spending caps for online gamblers. It limited the amount those under 24 could gamble even further. While it did increase the amount going to offshore gambling accounts, it did reduce the value lost through legal means. Losses of more than €1,000 a month dropped by 4%.

In terms of payment methods, any money diverted to offshore accounts is money taken away from iDEAL. As this currently only operates in the Netherlands, it is not an option available to those using offshore casinos. Therefore, anyone circumventing KYC does not have this option.

iDEAL Changes to Wero

iDEAL is currently undergoing a change, and one which consumers of both casino services and other products will see over the next year. The system has been acquired by the European Payments Initiative, who plan to bring it into line with a streamlined Europe-wide approach to digital payment. This will involve a name change to Wero.

Wero is already known to customers across the rest of Europe, and is used in Germany, France and Belgium. The company also acquired Payconiq, and this will join the system in a streamlined form. This has not stopped iDEAL from operating a normal service, and even J.P. Morgan recently added it as an option on its global commerce platform for customers this month.

It seems that iDEAL will remain a major choice for Dutch customers. While it may have a different name, this will only make it more useful. They will now be able to pay across European borders easily. How this will impact casino payments remains to be seen, and it may not have an impact at all. All we may see are players migrating to other European services instead of global offshore operators if regulations become strict once again.