Legal Online Gambling in the Netherlands
It is true to say that gambling has been operational in the Netherlands for many years. One of the world’s oldest lotteries has been active in the country since 1726, known as the Staatsloterij. Yet, the Netherlands has also provided a gambling market that has protected its citizens over those years, too.
It has therefore been very strict in terms of the laws and rules in place. For many years, the scene has been dominated by large national operators of gambling products, such as the Holland Casino and the popular Postcode Loterij.
An independent governing body, the College van Toezicht op Kansspelen was founded and set up in 1996 in order to regulate the country’s gambling industry. It was the prime focus of this body to ensure that all of its licensees were complicit with the Dutch law on gambling. Then, in April of 2012, it became the task of the Dutch Gambling Authority to control this, taking over operations.
Operating as the Netherlands authority on preventing gambling addiction and the protection of vulnerable people and minors, the Dutch Gambling Authority incorporated stringent rules to do this. The body was able to put certain sanctions in place in order to protect its gambling citizens, and throughout the years it proceeded to do exactly that.
Remote Gambling Act in 2014
Things continued in this same vein for several years, until the Remote Gambling Act was penned in 2014. That only passed into the lower house court in 2016 though, and it took some time for the state senate to approve it. Through that Act, stricter laws are able to be placed on unlicensed casinos based offshore.
Many companies have targeted Dutch players throughout the years, despite not possessing an official licence to operate there. A hefty fine of up to €820,00 can be handed out to operators providing their services illegally in Holland, according to the legislation.
The Act was eventually approved, and it came into effect in April of 2021. Through this, operators were able to apply for licences to legally operate within the country under the new laws. Within the first two weeks of that being made available, 29 applications were submitted to the Gaming Authority.
All those casinos being provided with an official licence following the submission of an accepted application were able to start serving the Dutch market on October 1. This came about following an original delay that pushed the launch date back from January 1 to July 1, before a second delay pushed it back to the October date.
Netherlands Gaming Authority (KSA)
Kansspelautoriteit, or the KSA, is the regulatory body that oversees gambling in the Netherlands. It is also now the responsibility of the KSA to issue remote gambling licences to those operators that meet the necessary qualifications when applying for such.
It was in 2016 that the regulatory body was forced to halt the proceedings with approval of the Remote Gambling Act, thanks to the fact that there were splits when it came to deciding on the final tax arrangements. The protection of state-owned gambling operators was also an issue that needed to be worked out before things could proceed further.
The three years of deliberation over those issues came to a close in 2019, when the Dutch Senate finally approved the casino legislation.
This was given the support and approval of Dutch Legal Protections Minister Sander Dekker, too. It was also Dekker that demanded further compliance and technical arrangements be applied to the Act before it was able to be brought into effect in the country. Kansspelautoriteit made sure to announce the selection of 10 operators that had been granted licences to operate online.
That was quite the lower number of approvals than expected from the 29 applications that had initially been received by the regulatory body. Yet it was noted that the low number of approvals for licensing was because many of the applicants had failed to meet the high bar of operation needed to secure a gambling licence.
It is now down to the KSA to ensure that licensed platforms protect Dutch players from gambling-related harm, as per the agreements of their licence certificates. At the same time, both fair and moderate gameplay should be promoted by the sites.
The likelihood is that additional casinos will be approved by the KSA for licensed status in the Netherlands in the future.
How to Choose the Best Dutch Online Casino
Getting involved in an online casino in the Netherlands should not be something taken too lightly. Just because there is a high threshold in place for licence applicants to meet, does not mean that rogue platforms will stop operating and providing their services to the country’s players.
While the KSA will always be looking to block such sites from gaining access to Dutch players, this cannot always be guaranteed. That’s why it is ideal to know how to seek out the very best Dutch online casinos. And this is why we are here.
Check out these guidelines to find the online world’s best casinos catering to the Netherlands market.
Look at the KSA Licence
It is important to ensure that the casino you are signing up to holds an official Dutch licence. A casino without one of these that is serving the Netherlands market is operating illegally, according to Dutch law. The KSA has taken action against a number of casino operators for violating the terms of their legislation, imposing fines on them for such actions.
And this is something that it is still able to do, operating in line with the Remote Gambling Act of the Netherlands.
Therefore, if you see an online casino with a licence that has been provided to it by Kansspelautoriteit, it is an officially recognised, legal platform. This makes it not only legal and legitimate to access and join, but also safe and fair, which also need to be considered when finding the best platforms.
To find the KSA license:
- Scroll the website to the footer;
- Check the KSA license logo;
- Click on the logo and check the details.
Find Dutch Native Customer Support
Naturally, if you’re a Dutch resident and you’re playing games from within the Netherlands, it would be ideal to benefit from native-speaking customer support.
This means that if you ever need help with anything, you will be able to understand it in your native language, rather than potentially having to figure it out in another language. Support should be provided in Dutch at the best online casinos, and this should be made available through live chat, telephone, email, and other services.
Read the Dutch Players’ Reviews
Gamers in general are very much capable of explaining how they feel about certain games, slot machine online casino sites, support services, available payment methods, and so on.
Don’t expect Dutch gamers to be any different in this respect. You can find a variety of online reviews about Dutch casinos, and these will provide you with some insight into how they operate from the mindset of actual players. It is also the case that you will likely be able to understand exactly how legal such a casino is, and how the sites treat their players.
If a platform is licensed by Kansspelautoriteit, then it should be providing an exceptional experience to its registered users. This means that they should feel safe and comfortable depositing and withdraw, have a great choice of games to select from, feel safe when gaming, and so on.
Reading reviews from other Dutch players will allow you to get a general consensus of how a casino is operating, and what you can actually expect from becoming a member of the site yourself.
Genuine reviews should be:
- Mixed, good and bad. Online casinos are not perfect;
- Descriptive of problems experienced;
- Related to something that happened recently.
Casino Bonuses for Holland Players
Some of the best casino bonuses can be found at online gaming sites, and this includes those platforms catering to the Netherlands. It’s good to know what the different types of bonuses are, and how they operate, too. Here, we will provide you with some insight into the greatest casino bonuses for Dutch players to claim.
Then, you can decide upon whether or not you want to go ahead with joining one of the platforms and claiming its respective reward.
Best Casino Games at NL Online Casinos
Different casinos will provide different numbers of games from a variety of developers. This includes options like blackjack and roulette, online slot machines, video poker possibilities, live dealer games, keno and bingo, virtual sports, and even more.
You’re usually never short of something to play at an online casino, and with there being several licensed to operate in the Netherlands, you have a choice of platform to sign up to.
So, it generally depends upon your own personal preference as to what the best games are for you. We can recommend some of the best options to go for when you have registered at a specific online gaming site. Popular developers have provided these sites with their games.
And this means you can look forward to experiencing online casino games from Netent, Microgaming, Blueprint Gaming, Play’n Go, Playtech, and various others. And if you want to be guided in the right sort of direction, we can help you with that.
Most Popular Online Slots in the Netherlands
Slot games will always stand out as being a popular casino game, and this doesn’t specifically just cater to Dutch players, either. Slots have a high popularity level around the world. Of course, different games are played by more people in different locations. And for anyone based in the Netherlands, we know of some of the most popular slot games that you can access and enjoy.
Take a look at the recommended slot games below, which you can play at several licensed Dutch casinos. These games come with inviting themes running through them, exceptional special features for you to trigger and experience, high-quality graphics and animations, wonderful betting ranges, and so much more. You may even be able to get your hands on a huge jackpot payout when playing the slots.
Mobile Casinos Accepting Dutch Players
Today, more than ever before, mobile casino gaming is taking hold of the community. People enjoy being able to access slot games from any location via their smartphone or tablet. It offers up a sense of convenience, ensuring that you can play your favourite games whenever you want. Furthermore, the vast majority of casino games have been adapted so as to cater to this market.
So, whenever you do choose to access a casino game via a mobile device, it will automatically adhere to the size of your handset’s screen and provide a fantastic experience.
All Dutch-licensed casinos are compatible with mobile devices, meaning that you aren’t restricted when it comes to deciding upon one to join. You can even sign up, deposit, and withdraw through your smartphone if you so wish. Granted, some casinos look better on a mobile screen than others. So, we can provide some advice on the platforms to sign up to if you’re a mobile gamer.
The Mobile Dutch Culture
More than anyone else, Dutch players are utilising mobile devices to enjoy their gambling activities. As noted, the convenience element of this is a big selling point for mobile gaming, and clearly, Dutch players have received the memo on it.
It is perhaps for this reason that all Dutch-licensed casinos are fully compatible with smartphones and tablets. And the gaming community in the Netherlands is taking advantage of the opportunity to play their favourite slots, table games, and so on from any location.
Popular Dutch Casino Payment Methods
Adding money to your casino account is something that you’ll need to do before you can play any of the games on hand. Different casinos tend to support different payment methods, although there are some options that are more specifically available to Dutch players than others.
Some of these are actively sought out by players from the Netherlands at online casinos, too. Take a look at the various Dutch payment methods that you can find on hand at licensed platforms.
Gamble Responsibly in the Netherlands
It is also important for you to engage in responsible gambling activity when you decide upon a casino to play at. This means that it is ideal to follow certain guidelines when it comes to making deposits, placing bets, and so on. For this reason, here are some pointers to follow when it comes to playing games in a responsible way:
- Never deposit more than you can afford to lose at your chosen Dutch casino site. Try to set yourself a budget for each day, week, month, for example. And if you decide upon a budget of €30 per day, then be sure to adhere to this. Don’t go chasing your losses by depositing more money into your casino account in the hopes that you will win it all back again. Make sure that you have enough money left for everyday living.
- Place bets that cater to your bankroll. If you have deposited that €30 for the day, it is not ideal to go ahead with placing bets of €10 at a time. After all, this gives you a minimum of three bets, and there is no guarantee in place that you will win anything from those wagers. So, you could use up your entire bankroll in a couple of minutes this way. And if this does occur, then you’re more likely to be enticed into depositing even more. If you have a lower bankroll, use lower bets on a game each round.
- Don’t let your emotions get the better of you. If you get angry over a couple of losses, or if you get upset, you can make snap and rash decisions. This can lead to even greater losses in the end. You need to remain calm and enjoy your gambling activity at your chosen top online casino.
- Enter into your gambling activity with the mindset that you will lose. Not only will this put you in the correct mindset for gameplay, but it will also provide a bigger high if you do actually end up winning in the end. We’re not saying that you will lose if you have that mindset, it’s just always better to approach online gambling in this way.
- If you find yourself experiencing any addiction symptoms, then be sure to seek out help for it. Problem gambling can be a slippery slope, and it can prove to be one that is difficult to escape. But there is help available for you to benefit from, so don’t be afraid to take it.
Gambling Helplines in the Netherlands
If you need to find help for gambling addiction, then there is plenty of assistance catering to Dutch players in this respect. As part of the Remote Gambling Act that was brought into effect in 2021, online casinos licensed by KSA have to readily promote responsible gambling to their players. This includes providing them with information on how to find help for the addiction. The helplines that are available to you in the Netherlands include:
Dutch Casino FAQs
Want to know more about playing games online in the Netherlands? Maybe your questions will be answered in these various FAQs about the scene.
