KSA issues first eight online licence renewals

On Thursday, the Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA)reported eight online gambling licences had been reissued as part of its five year-renewal plan for the sector.

This will enable them to continue legal operations in the Netherlands from 1 October 2026 through to 30 September 2031. 

It’s the first time since the market was launched in 2021, that licences have come up for renewal, and whomever is on the final list will indicate how many operators have decided not to remain in the market.

The initial 2021 licences are set to expire at the end of September 2026. All licence holders were required to submit applications for the subsequent five-year period, covering 2026 to 2031.

Recipients of follow-up licences

Those that have received renewals include TOTO Online BV (brands: TOTO, Winnitt), Holland Casino NV (Holland Casino Online), Play North Limited (Kansino), FPO Nederland BV (FairPlay Casino), Bingoal Nederland BV (Bingoal), Hillside (New Media Malta) Plc (Bet365), NSUS Malta Limited (GG Poker), and Betent BV (Betcity).

This selection reflects a mix of both local and internationally-based operators. The list reflects operators that were previously active in the market, meaning so far no new operators have received an approval to operate.

Both LiveScore and Tombola, who were a part of the original 10 operators to receive a licence, exited the market in 2024. 

Enhanced regulatory scrutiny

Compared to the 2021 licensing round, the KSA adopted a more granular and stringent approach to its licence renewal process. This was expected following new policy rules set out by the regulator in September 2025.

One such rule was for licensees that had faced compliance enforcement during the five years operating int he Netherlands.

At the time KSA announced: “providers that made mistakes in the past five years must explain during the application process how they have learned from previous mistakes and how they intend to prevent recurrence. If we find this explanation insufficient, the permit may be denied or additional conditions and restrictions may be imposed.” 

This requirement raised concerns among operators, which were worried that the barriers to entry could have become more retrictive, But at a meeting on the policies last year the regulator assured licensees it wasn’t enforcing a specific strict rule on this.

Speaking to iGB at the time, Bjorn Fuchs, chairman of VNLOK Fuchs expressed “there was a sigh of relief going through the room when it was presented”.

Rather than a crackdown across the board, what emerged was a more regulated renewal framework.

Of the KSA’s update, Fuchs said: “If you [as an operator] have a clean sheet, there are some hoops, but for various modules you can just send a declaration which states that you’re compliant.”

He emphasised the new system would make burdens less demanding than before, but the new ‘exit plan’ requirement and sharper duty‑of‑care definitions do bring some added complexity.

Evaluated on past violations

The KSA said previously that applicants were required to detail corrective actions taken to address previous breaches and outline measures to prevent future violations.

All submissions must also now include an exit plan – a new obligation that applies across the board. This requirement, intended to ensure orderly market withdrawal, marked a move toward embedding long-term risk management into the licensing process.

It requires operators to describe in detail how they will responsibly wind down their operations should their licence not be renewed or be revoked. Or if they decide to leave the market midway through the five years between renewals.

The regulator noted that several operators received ‘additional points for attention’, indicating that while these applicants met minimum legal thresholds, the KSA expected continuous improvements in compliance practices.

One of the operators, TOTO online BV, was reported for violating the ban on featuring role models in advertising materials, in June.

This was not the first time TOTO has been in trouble with KSA. The platform was fined in 2022 for a similar endeavour – gambling advertisements that were seemingly aimed at young people.