Dutch officials are weighing tougher gambling advertising rules, including a possible full ban, after acknowledging gaps in the country’s player protection system.
Cruks, the Netherlands’ self-exclusion register, cannot fully stop vulnerable players from seeing gambling ads. Licensed operators also cannot use Cruks to check the exclusion status of every person before sending promotional messages.
Current ad rules may go further
The Netherlands already has some of Europe’s stricter gambling advertising controls. Untargeted gambling ads have been banned since July 2023, covering television, radio, print, outdoor advertising and other broad-reach channels.
Advertising aimed at people under 24 is also restricted. Recent research found that some Dutch gambling ads on Meta platforms still reached younger users, with 7.3% of online gambling ads and 29.8% of offline gambling ads in the sample breaching the under-24 rule.
The latest review could move the market beyond targeted restrictions. A full ban would further limit how licensed operators can acquire customers and promote legal offers in a market already dealing with tax increases, compliance pressure and black-market concerns.
Cruks limits drive the debate
Cruks allows players to exclude themselves from legal gambling in the Netherlands. Operators must check the register before allowing players to gamble.
The problem is advertising. The system does not give operators a practical way to check every person who might receive or see a gambling ad. That leaves self-excluded players exposed to marketing even after they have taken steps to block themselves from play.
That gap has become harder for officials to defend as online marketing becomes more targeted and harder to monitor. The debate now sits between consumer protection and the risk of making licensed operators less visible than illegal gambling sites.
KSA also targets illegal ads
The advertising review comes as the Kansspelautoriteit increases enforcement against unlicensed gambling promotion on social media. The regulator filed more than 4,600 reports with Meta in April over illegal gambling ads on Facebook and Instagram.
Illegal operators often use the names and logos of Dutch athletes and established brands to look more credible. KSA has also worked with public bodies, private companies and platform representatives to improve ad removals and reduce repeat advertising by unlicensed sites.
