Netherlands moves to near-total ban on online gambling ads amid loophole crackdown
The Dutch government is introducing much stricter rules on online gambling, including a near-total ban on gambling ads and bonuses. State Secretary for Justice and Security Claudia van Bruggen said the measures are aimed at tackling the sharp rise in gambling addiction, particularly among young people, De Telegraaf reports.
In principle, all advertising for online gambling will be prohibited, with only very limited exceptions. Gambling platforms will also no longer be permitted to offer bonuses, including free bets for new users or loyalty rewards for existing customers.
The government will raise the minimum age for high-risk online gambling from 18 to 21. It will also introduce a central system to monitor betting limits, preventing players from avoiding safeguards by placing large bets across multiple platforms simultaneously.
A central system will be set up to monitor betting limits, making it harder for players to circumvent rules by gambling large amounts across different providers simultaneously. The Dutch Gambling Authority (Ksa) will also gain expanded powers to more quickly and effectively take illegal foreign gambling sites offline.
The new measures continue a series of laws aimed at tightening control over the gambling market, which was liberalised in 2021. From 1 July 2023, under the Orka Decree, so-called untargeted gambling advertising was banned, including ads on radio, TV, in newspapers, and in public spaces such as billboards.
From 1 January 2024, it became illegal for gambling companies to sponsor television programmes and events. This was followed on 1 July 2025 by the end of the transition period for sports sponsorship, after which all forms of sponsorship of sports clubs, including shirt sponsorship in the Eredivisie, were fully prohibited.
As of 2026, the government is stepping in with an almost total ban after gambling operators were found to be exploiting loopholes through targeted online advertising and social media marketing.
The measure enjoys wide support. Figures from the Consumers’ Association, reported by Hart van Nederland, indicate that 84 percent of consumers back a full ban. In parliament, parties including the SP and the Christian Union are pushing for even tougher rules, especially to curb aggressive design tactics, known as “dark patterns,” used by online gambling platforms.
