Dutch regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has reiterated that gambling sponsorship will again be limited at Formula 1’s upcoming Grand Prix in the country, in line with national rules and regulations.
F1 teams taking part in the Grand Prix will not be permitted to display any form of gambling branding for companies not licensed in the Netherlands. Advertisement of online gambling will also not be permitted.
Several F1 teams have in place partnerships with gambling operators and businesses. These include cars and drivers’ racing suits carrying branding during Grand Prix events.
“It is expressly prohibited to display advertising or other visible materials from gambling providers without a Dutch licence,” KSA said in an update to operators on Thursday.
“Such materials from unlicensed providers are considered to promote illegal gambling. This violates applicable legislation.
“The KSA urges all involved parties to be vigilant and to contact us if they have any doubts about the permissibility of specific materials.”
More broadly, the Netherlands operates strict rules for gambling sponsorship. Operators that do not hold a licence in the country are not permitted to advertise anywhere. And there is also an outright ban on promoting online gambling, whether the operator is licensed or not.
Which F1 teams have gambling sponsorship deals?
The warning follows similar guidance issued ahead of the 2024 edition of the Dutch Grand Prix. However, this focused more on the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.
The team has a naming rights partnership with online casino Stake, which operates a crypto casino offering. However, last year, the team had to run without Stake’s name, and branding was removed from cars and race suits. This followed a similar strategy in other countries where gambling advertising faces limitations including the US and China.
Red Bull Racing has a partnership in place with PokerStars, through which branding features on cars, driver suits and helmets.
McLaren has a similar deal with Allwyn, operator of the UK National Lottery. Allwyn also has a wider deal in place with F1. The racing series organiser also has a betting data deal with supplier ALT Sports Data.
In February, Super Group began working with the Williams F1 team. Branding for its online sports betting and gaming business Betway and casino brand Jackpot City appears on cars.
In addition, Kenya-facing betting operator SportPesa previously held the naming rights for the Racing Point F1 Team. The deal covered the 2019 season, though the team no longer races in F1.
The 2025 Dutch Grand Prix will take place at Circuit Zandvoort in North Holland from 29-31 August.
Gambling operators without a Dutch licence will not be able to advertise at the country’s upcoming F1 Grand Prix.