Ahead of a high-profile political debate about the future of gambling in the Netherlands, Dutch online trade body VNLOK has urged policymakers not to underestimate the illegal gambling sector.
The House of Representatives will discuss potential reforms this Thursday, 3 September, which could see further restrictions being rolled out for licensed operators. Government policymakers are pushing for a total ban on gambling advertising.
In light of the upcoming discussions, VNLOK has written to the spokesperson of the lower house to bring their attention to the increasing prevalence of the black market in the Netherlands.
“It is now estimated that as much money is involved in illegal providers as within the licensed market,” the association said. “As a result, more and more players are losing the picture of supervision, duty of care, prevention measures and assistance.”
VNLOK’s estimates about the illegal market spent matching that of its licensed counterpart come from a survey from the Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautorieit (KSA) itself, which was further confirmed by the government itself in a press release earlier this year.
Dutch trade body’s fight continues
Players being pushed towards black market operators has been a cause of concern for the larger part of this decade, ever since the online market re-regulated in 2021.
This was further amplified by a number of reforms introduced in later years, such as strict deposit limits, marketing restrictions, and increase in the minimum age of play.
Operators have also found themselves under heavy pressure due to a two-phased tax increase that saw gambling duty go up to 37.8% in January 2026.
Subsequent market analysis by the KSA showed that taxes collected actually decreased following the hike, which could be attributed to players migrating away from the licensed offers.
Furthermore, much like in other European markets such as the UK, the proliferation of illegal gambling ads in the Netherlands is starting to take centre stage in the gambling discourse.
Facebook owner Meta in particular has been under heavy scrutiny about its relaxed policies around the gambling products advertised on its platforms, with VNLOK recently threatening legal action against the tech giant if illegal gambling companies keep targeting Dutch consumers without significant repercussions.
In this context, VNLOK is calling for a strategic approach when it comes to advertising regulations within the licensed sector, urging the government to balance between protection of vulnerable groups and the necessity of the legal gambling offer to remain competitive.
The trade body said: “Advertising must be responsible, restrained, and targeted, with special attention paid to vulnerable groups.
“A total ban on advertising makes it more difficult for consumers to identify legal operators and increases the risk of them turning to illegal gambling sites.”
VNLOK has put forward several proposals to make the KSA’s toolkit for dealing with the illegal market less “inadequate”.
These include granting the regulator with website blocking powers, classifying illegal gambling as organised crime, and giving it a bigger say regarding the payments sector once transactions are facilitated.
As per the House of Representatives, VNLOK advises a risk-based approach that explores in detail the effects of a potential blanket ban of gambling advertising, and to take the influence of the black market into account when making a final decision.
