Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has announced all applicants for a remote gambling licence in the country will be required to have an “exit plan”, informing the regulator on how they might leave the market if their licence expired.
The new requirement, one of several amendments confirmed by KSA on Tuesday, will come into effect from 1 January 2026. It will apply to any gambling business seeking a licence in the country, whether they are renewing or seeking entrance into the regulated Dutch market.
Operators must include their proposed exit plan as part of their licence application or reapplication. It should set out how they plan to halt their offering in the Netherlands and fully withdraw from the market, should they elect not to extend their licence beyond the initial five year period.
KSA has also requested operators include a document explaining how they plan to inform the regulator of any changes to their policies and operations in a timely manner. This is in addition to a risk analysis on AML and CTF regulations and the Act on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing.
Should operators not comply with the new requirements, the KSA said they could have their application rejected. This, the regulator added, could be the case even if the business held a Dutch licence previously.
Dutch operators prepare for licence renewal
The announcement comes ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Netherlands launching legal online gambling. The market officially opened on 1 October 2021, clearing the way for players’ legal iGaming and sports betting.
Operators that secured the first licences in the new market will soon have to begin pulling together their applications for renewal. Early licences, issued prior to the market opening, run for five years and are due to expire in October 2026. Businesses that wish to remain active in the Netherlands must seek renewal ahead of this.
For operators seeking renewal, KSA said they will face a different process from those companies applying for the first time. KSA will reassess certain components such as their policies for preventing gambling addition and advertising protocols.
The regulator also warned operators that have fallen foul of regulations in the first few years of the licensed market could see this count against them in their renewal application. Such operators will be required to show how they have addressed failings within their application.
“Providers that made mistakes in the past five years must explain during the application process how they have learned from previous mistakes and how they intend to prevent recurrence,” the regulator said.
“If we find this explanation insufficient, the permit may be denied or additional conditions and restrictions may be imposed.”
Dutch online gambling operators must reapply for their licences ahead of October 2026 as market nears five-year anniversary.