Dutch betting industry warns ad ban will fuel illegal market
Summary
Erik Gibbs reports that the Netherlands’ regulated gambling trade body VNLOK warns a proposed total advertising ban will push players towards unlicenced offshore operators, undermining consumer protections and the visibility of the legal market. VNLOK’s data indicates unlicenced firms already dominate digital adverts on Meta platforms, and the association criticises government plans to cap licences and tighten duty-of-care rules as likely to be counterproductive.
Key Points
- VNLOK says a total ad ban will render licenced platforms invisible and benefit illegal operators.
- Data: unlicenced operators accounted for 97% of gambling adverts on Meta in Q4 2025.
- The new coalition (D66, VVD, CDA) proposes a blanket advertising ban, stricter duty-of-care obligations and an evaluation of capping the number of licenced providers.
- Operators already face a 37.8% tax on gross gaming revenue; industry warns further restrictions will reduce choice for consumers and hamper legal competition.
- VNLOK supports harm-reduction aims but argues visibility of the legal offer plus rigorous oversight — not artificial scarcity — better protects players.
Context and relevance
This marks a potential turning point for the Dutch iGaming market. If advertising is erased from public channels, licenced operators may struggle to reach customers while offshore sites remain visible via unpaid or harder-to-police channels. The debate mirrors wider EU conversations on balancing public-health goals with effective, enforceable regulation and market supervision. Operators, affiliates, advertisers and compliance teams should watch developments closely.
Why should I read this?
Short and blunt: if you operate in or around Dutch iGaming, this could change how you get customers, how much compliance costs and who actually ends up taking bets. The proposals risk handing momentum to offshore players — so it matters. We read it for you so you don’t have to panic-scan the policy docs just yet.
Source
Source: https://next.io/news/regulation/dutch-industry-warns-ad-ban-fuel-illegal-market/