The Dutch gambling regulator KSA has issued the first eight online licence renewals, each running five years from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2031. This is the first renewal cycle since the legal market opened in 2021, when initial permits were set to expire at the end of September 2026.
Renewals went to TOTO Online BV (TOTO, Winnitt), Holland Casino NV (Holland Casino Online), Play North Limited (Kansino), FPO Nederland BV (FairPlay Casino), Bingoal Nederland BV (Bingoal), Hillside (New Media Malta) Plc (Bet365), NSUS Malta Limited (GG Poker) and Betent BV (Betcity). The list includes domestic and international operators already active in the market. No new entrants have joined yet. Two operators from the original top ten, LiveScore and Tombola, left the market in 2024.
Tighter scrutiny
The renewal process became stricter. In September 2025 the KSA introduced new rules requiring operators with compliance failures during the first five years to explain how they addressed mistakes and what steps they took to prevent recurrence. If the explanation falls short, the regulator can refuse renewal or attach additional conditions. Parts of the industry feared the bar would be insurmountable, but a meeting with the regulator made clear there would be no automatic rejection. According to Bjorn Fuchs, chair of VNLOK, 'a sigh of relief went through the room'.
All applicants now must submit an exit plan, a new mandatory requirement describing how an operator will wind down operations if the licence is revoked or voluntarily surrendered. It forms part of long-term risk management built into licensing.
Several operators received 'additional remarks': they meet minimum standards, but the regulator expects improvements. In June 2024 TOTO Online BV breached the ban on using celebrities in advertising, a repeat offence after a 2022 fine for youth-oriented advertising.
