Dutch regulator issues sports sponsorship warning ahead of upcoming ban
Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has warned operators they must ensure they are in compliance with new rules on sponsorship in sport, ahead of a ban coming into effect in July.
From 1 July, all forms of gambling sponsorship in sport will be prohibited in the Netherlands. This includes shirt sponsorship as well as promotional deals with competitions, teams and individual athletes.
The regulations will apply across all sports, as set out when KSA introduced new advertising rules in July 2023.
Initially, a ban was placed on gambling adverts across television, radio and print, as well as adverts in public places and in buildings accessible to the public. This was extended to programme and event sponsorship in July last year.
Banning sports sponsorship had always been part of the new regulations but its introduction was intentionally delayed by KSA. This was to allow existing deals to reach their conclusion and allow sports properties to prepare for the rule change. However, teams and athletes have not been able to enter new agreements since July 2023.
KSA pledges extra vigilance over sports sponsorship
KSA has continued to monitor the market in the lead-up to the rule change this July. This included requesting details from online casinos about any sponsorship or advertising deals they had in place.
With the ban less than six weeks away, KSA has told operators it will be extra vigilant for violations of new sponsorship rules. It warned that it would take “immediate enforcement action” against any operators that breach regulations.
However, KSA added that it continues to talk with industry associations about the impact of the ban and will assist with any queries about the rule change.
“In other countries with a similar ban, we see that gambling providers try to circumvent the ban in creative ways,” KSA Chairman Michel Groothuizen said. “As far as I’m concerned, that is not the case in the Netherlands.
“This law was drawn up to protect young adults and other vulnerable groups. You do that by preventing them from being exposed to gambling advertising, regardless of who the advertising comes from.
“We at KSA will be very vigilant about that.”
Dutch gambling restrictions ratchet up
The ban on sponsorship comes amid a wave of measures implemented by Dutch politicians, designed to improve player protection standards.
Since the market opened in 2021, licensees have endured a series of changes including the ban on untargeted advertising, online deposit limits and tax hikes. From 1 January this year the levy for operators increased to 34.2% of GGR, and increases to 37.8% next year.
This prompted Flutter to pull Tombola from the market, while LiveScore Bet announced plans to exit in November last year ahead of the tax increase. Former monopoly Holland Casino also warned of cuts in its wake.
With further measures such as a slot ban looming, the measures haven’t yet had the desired impact. A review of the Netherlands Online Gambling Act published in November 2024 dismissed player protection efforts as ineffective.