The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has issued a comprehensive and definitive clarification regarding its strict “role model” ban, explicitly confirming that the prohibition extends to all online personalities with significant public reach.
This strategic move is designed to eliminate any remaining ambiguity within the industry and to prioritize the protection of young adults, who the regulator identifies as the group most vulnerable to the persuasive power of digital influencers.
Ending the Ambiguity on “Public Reach”
While the ban on using role model for gambling advertisements has been a core pillar of the Dutch Remote Gambling Act (KOA), many operators previously sought to differentiate between traditional celebrities and modern digital content creators.
The KSA’s latest directive leaves no room for such interpretation, broadening the definition to include anyone whose digital presence is attractive for recruitment and advertising purposes.
The KSA’s official release emphasized the scope of this enforcement:
“The ban is not limited to streamers or influencers known to a wider audience. Individuals with public exposure, such as influencers, bloggers, vloggers, and streamers, are considered role models when their reach is large enough to be attractive for recruitment and advertising purposes. They may therefore not be used for recruitment and advertising purposes.”
Immediate Termination of Collaborations
The regulator has ordered all licensed iGaming providers to audit their current marketing funnels and terminate existing partnerships with streamers and influencers immediately. This crackdown targets platforms where younger demographics are most active, including Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok.
According to the KSA, influencers often build a level of trust and “parasocial” connection with their audience that traditional advertisements lack. For young adults, this identification makes gambling products appear more normalized and less risky, directly contradicting the Netherlands’ strict harm-prevention objectives.
Monitoring and Enforcement Actions
Operators who continue to utilize personalities with “large enough reach” to promote betting products now face significant administrative fines. The KSA has signaled that it will be utilizing monitoring technology to track digital campaigns and ensure that influencers are not being used via “white-label” loopholes or affiliate sub-networks.
This clarification marks a decisive turning point in the Dutch regulatory landscape, signaling that the era of the “iGaming streamer” as a primary marketing vehicle in the Netherlands has officially come to an end.
