The Dutch gambling regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has updated guidance for online gambling operators when it comes to assessing the affordability of its players.
The update follows regulatory inspections that found operators were still falling short in some areas, despite improvements across the industry.
Under the revised guidance, operators are given greater clarity on how to evaluate whether players can afford higher deposit limits in line with the Netherlands’ responsible gambling requirements.
Deposit monthly limits remain in place
Since October 2024, licensed online gambling operators in the Netherlands have been required to conduct a means test before allowing players to exceed monthly deposit limits of €300 for those aged 18 to 24 and €700 for players 24 and older. The affordability check, introduced under the KSA’s 2024 duty of care framework, is designed to ensure customers do not gamble beyond their financial means.
The updated “good and bad practices” guidance clarifies those ambiguities in its February 2025 affordability rules and follows inspections that found inconsistent application of the statutory means test.
The updated guidance makes clear that monthly deposit limits must be based solely on a player’s recurring income. Savings, business assets, home equity and one-off payments, including bonuses and gifts, cannot be counted when assessing affordability.
The KSA said earlier wording had led some operators to incorrectly include non-recurring assets when setting deposit limits, allowing customers to qualify for higher limits than intended under the rules.
Inspections of 20 licensed operators found ongoing compliance failures and procedural weaknesses despite earlier guidance. The regulator has issued 10 improvement interviews, three formal warnings and one binding instruction as part of its enforcement efforts.
The KSA said it will continue targeted supervision to ensure operators comply with the revised standards. Separately, a survey published last October found public support for deposit limits had risen to 82% among 1,507 respondents, up from 76% two years earlier.
2025 survey shows more than 50% of players support means tested assessments
Dutch legal protection secretary Arno Rutte reaffirmed the government’s commitment to overhauling online gambling laws late last year, submitting four new studies to parliament to support planned reforms. Rutte said the findings would help shape legislation introducing stricter advertising rules, mandatory player limits and other responsible gambling measures following the departure of his predecessor, Teun Struycken.
One study found growing public support for mandatory gambling limits, with 82% of respondents backing the measure, up from 76% in 2023. However, proposals requiring players to provide financial information to qualify for higher deposit limits proved more divisive, with 42% citing privacy concerns despite 55% agreeing such checks could help prevent gambling-related harm.
Support was stronger for an overarching deposit limit, with 58% of respondents in favor and 67% believing it could reduce gambling problems. Even so, attitudes varied by risk level, with high-risk players showing less support for blanket limits while being more willing than other groups to share financial information.
The research also found more players voluntarily set gambling limits in 2024, while fewer opted for the least restrictive settings. Around 71% never changed their original limits and 57% said they had not reached any of those limits during the past year, although 64% believed their gambling was already “under control” and that they did not need restrictions.
Players gave mixed reviews to measures already introduced under the Dutch responsible gambling regime. Only a small minority reported being asked to submit financial information or contacted by operators, while pop-up warnings had become more common but were generally viewed as ineffective. Rutte said he would “incorporate the results of these studies” into the government’s planned gambling reforms.
KSA pushes automatic self-exclusion for financially vulnerable
Meanwhile, Michel Groothuizen has called for everyone under court-appointed financial administration or legal guardianship in the Netherlands to be automatically enrolled in the country’s Cruks self-exclusion register. Writing in a blog, he said the move would strengthen protections for people already recognized as needing legal or financial support.
Groothuizen said around 250,000 people are under protective administration and another 25,000 are under guardianship through the Central Guardianship and Administration Register. Many face significant debts or addiction issues, making them particularly susceptible to gambling-related harm.
“These people are especially vulnerable with gambling,” Groothuizen said, arguing that linking the guardianship register directly to Cruks would provide “optimal protection” for one of the country’s most at-risk groups. “We can certainly lock the door to the legal casino for a future addict,” he added.
The proposal forms part of a broader push by the Dutch regulator to strengthen consumer safeguards. Groothuizen argued that “gambling is not an ordinary product,” warning it can lead to serious financial, social and health consequences for both players and those around them.
At the same time, he cautioned against introducing restrictions that could drive consumers to unlicensed operators. “The challenge is to protect vulnerable people while ensuring the legal market remains attractive enough that players do not turn to illegal providers,” he said.
