Government Prioritizes Accelerated Enforcement and Tech Platform Collaboration While Deferring Potential Age Restrictions to 21
During a rigorous three-hour Gambling Committee debate, members of the Dutch House of Representatives united in demanding faster, harsher enforcement against illegal gambling websites. The discussion centered on research reports, regulatory updates, and a strategic assessment by Justice State Secretary KT van Bruggen, which highlighted that market channelisation has dropped below 50%.
Lawmakers across the political spectrum pressed the government to empower the national regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), with stronger tools to target unauthorized operators, payment facilitators, and affiliates. In response, Van Bruggen revealed that the cabinet is actively developing legislation to introduce DNS blocking for illegal sites, with a formal consultation scheduled for early 2027.
Big Tech Accountability and Social Media Advertising
The proliferation of illegal gambling ads across social media platforms emerged as a central point of contention. While members from parties like the VVD urged the government to adopt a harder stance against major technology companies, Van Bruggen noted that platforms such as Meta and Google have shown openness to dialogue.
The government will receive biannual reports tracking illegal gambling advertisements on these channels, alongside broader pushback managed at the European Union level through the Digital Services Act.
Debating the Legal Gambling Age and Total Reversal Calls
Politicians also revisited the legal gambling age, with representatives like the SGP’s Diederik van Dijk and the CDA’s Tijs van den Brink advocating for an increase from 18 to 21, particularly for high-risk online products. Van Dijk further called for a complete reversal of the 2021 online gambling legalisation and a total ban on all forms of gambling advertising.
However, Van Bruggen emphasized that combating the unlicensed black market remains the government’s primary legislative priority. Discussions regarding a potential age limit increase to 21 will be deferred and re-evaluated once unlicensed offerings are successfully suppressed.
