Hard Rock Casino Netherlands has received approval from the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) to add sports betting, according to a LinkedIn announcement by SpinCore Group, the Malta-headquartered company behind the brand. The approval was granted to iCasino B.V., the licensed entity running the Dutch domain, and took effect on 12 September 2026.
The move takes the brand beyond casino games into a regulated Dutch market where online operators pay 37.8% of gross gaming revenue in tax.
Hard Rock Casino Netherlands licence
iCasino B.V. received its original KSA licence on 21 May 2024, covering remote casino games only, under reference 2250/01.316.607, according to the licence notice on the Hard Rock Casino website. The company lists a registered address in Naxxar, Malta.
SpinCore Group said in its post that the approval followed “an incredible amount of hard work, determination and teamwork.”
This marks another exciting chapter in the journey of Hard Rock Casino Netherlands.
SpinCore Group, on LinkedIn
The Hard Rock Casino trademarks are owned by Hard Rock Holdings Limited and used by iCasino B.V. under licence, according to the site’s footer.
From casino-only to sportsbook
As of 13 October, the brand’s Dutch homepage still stated that it had deliberately chosen not to offer sports betting. The text set Hard Rock Casino apart from licensed rivals Betcity, Unibet and Jacks, which it said use the same sportsbook supplier, Kambi. The site menu lists a virtual sports section.
The Dutch tax rate
The Dutch gambling tax (kansspelbelasting) rose from 30.5% to 34.2% on 1 January 2025 and to 37.8% on 1 January 2026, according to the KSA’s June 2026 monitor on the effects of the tax increase.
The same monitor puts player-based channelisation at 91% or 95%, depending on whether players who use both licensed and unlicensed sites are counted as channelised. The KSA’s revenue-based measure, built on gross gaming result, has been falling for some time, the regulator found.
Next steps
iCasino B.V. had not announced a launch date or a sportsbook supplier as of 13 October. Until the product goes live, the brand’s Dutch offer remains casino, live casino, bingo and virtual sports. Earlier sportsbook and Western Europe licensing stories are listed in the TGE archive.
Source: SpinCore Group, Kansspelautoriteit
