The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has granted follow-up licences to eight online gambling operators, clearing bet365, GGPoker and BetCity to keep trading in the Netherlands alongside the five operators whose renewals surfaced in August.
The regulator announced the decisions on 17 September. The new remote gambling licences run from October 2026 through September 2031. The first Dutch online licences, issued when the market opened in October 2021, expire at the end of September 2026.
All eight already hold a Dutch licence, so the first batch adds no new entrant to the market. With tombola and LiveScore Bet having handed back their permits in 2024, every operator from the ten-strong 2021 opening cohort that is still active in the Netherlands now holds a licence for the next five years.
The eight approved operators
The KSA published the following list of licence holders and brands.
| Licence holder | Brand(s) | New licence term |
|---|---|---|
| TOTO Online B.V. | TOTO, Winnitt | October 2026 to September 2031 |
| Holland Casino N.V. | Holland Casino Online | October 2026 to September 2031 |
| Play North Limited | Kansino | October 2026 to September 2031 |
| FPO Nederland B.V. | FairPlay Casino | October 2026 to September 2031 |
| Bingoal Nederland B.V. | Bingoal | October 2026 to September 2031 |
| Hillside (New Media Malta) Plc | bet365 | October 2026 to September 2031 |
| NSUS Malta Limited | GGPoker | October 2026 to September 2031 |
| Betent B.V. | BetCity | October 2026 to September 2031 |
Five of the eight had confirmed their outcomes before the regulator did. FPO Nederland announced FairPlay’s new licence on 4 August, TOTO and Kansino followed on 5 August, and Holland Casino Online and Bingoal on 6 August, as covered in our report on the first five Dutch KOA renewals.
At that point GGPoker was the only other first-cohort operator with a confirmed application, and no filing or decision had been published for bet365 or BetCity. The KSA list confirms all three. BetCity’s renewal had already emerged two days before the regulator’s announcement.
Follow-up licence procedure
Licences under the Remote Gambling Act (Kansspelen op afstand, KOA) run for a maximum of five years. Extension is not possible: an incumbent must apply for a follow-up licence (vervolgvergunning) and pass a fresh KSA assessment.
Existing licensees go through a separate application route. The KSA reassesses their addiction prevention policy and their advertising and marketing policy, and runs a new integration test with the control database (CDB).
Holland Casino, which is state-owned, received its renewal for Holland Casino Online in the first wave. Our earlier coverage of the Holland Casino Online renewal sets out the company’s position on the new term.
Compliance history now counts
The main change for incumbents is a review of their supervisory record. The KSA said it looked explicitly at violations that had been definitively established over the past five years.
Operators had to explain what measures they took to correct those violations and to stop them happening again. Based on that review, the KSA gave some of the eight operators additional points requiring attention. It did not name which operators received them or what the points cover.
The regulator said all eight meet the requirements for a licence. Under the 2026 policy rules, the KSA can refuse a follow-up licence, or attach extra conditions and restrictions, if it finds an operator’s explanation of past failings insufficient.
New documents for every applicant
The Remote Gambling Licensing Policy Rules 2026 (BVRKOA 2026) took effect on 1 January 2026 and replaced the 2023 rules. They apply to new applicants and incumbents alike.
Every applicant must now submit an exit plan. It sets out how the operator would wind down its gambling offering if the licence ends and how it would pay out all player balances quickly.
Applicants must also file a risk analysis under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act (Wwft), and a document explaining how the KSA will be informed on time about significant changes to policy or business operations. The rules also remove some player-funds safeguarding arrangements that operators could previously use.
Who is still waiting
JOI Gaming’s JACKS.NL was not part of the 2021 opening cohort. The KSA licensed it separately on 20 November 2021, so its current permit expires in November 2026 and its renewal decision falls later in the cycle. No decision has been published.
ZEbet, licensed after the opening cohort, has also been reported as facing a renewal decision in the second half of 2026. Later KOA licences issued in 2022 and beyond will come up for renewal on their own five-year schedules.
The next point to watch is how the additional points of attention play out in supervision. The KSA has not said whether they come with formal licence conditions, and its handling of the remaining applications will show how strictly the compliance-history test is applied to operators with a heavier enforcement record. The renewals also land as the Dutch coalition weighs a full gambling advertising ban and limits on the number of licences. If adopted, either measure would apply to these eight operators during their new five-year term.
FAQ
Which operators received Dutch follow-up licences?
TOTO Online (TOTO, Winnitt), Holland Casino (Holland Casino Online), Play North (Kansino), FPO Nederland (FairPlay Casino), Bingoal Nederland (Bingoal), Hillside (New Media Malta) (bet365), NSUS Malta (GGPoker) and Betent (BetCity).
How long are the new licences valid?
From October 2026 through September 2031, a five-year term.
Can a Dutch online gambling licence be extended?
No. KOA licences run for a maximum of five years. Existing operators must apply for a follow-up licence and pass a new KSA assessment.
What changed in the 2026 licensing rules?
Applicants must submit an exit plan, a Wwft risk analysis and a document on reporting material changes to the KSA. Incumbents also face a review of violations established over the previous five years, plus a reassessment of addiction prevention and advertising policies.
What happens if an operator does not receive a follow-up licence?
It must stop offering online gambling in the Netherlands when its current licence expires. The exit plan required under the 2026 rules sets out how it winds down its offering and pays out player balances.
Did any new operators enter the market in this round?
No. All eight approvals went to operators already licensed in the Netherlands.
Which licensees have not yet received a decision?
JACKS.NL, whose licence runs until November 2026, has no published decision. ZEbet is also reported to face a renewal decision in the second half of 2026.
Source: Kansspelautoriteit
