KSA offers a comprehensive checklist for targeting Dutch gambling ads

(AsiaGameHub) –   Dutch gambling license holders have been provided with new guidelines to ensure that their marketing campaigns adhere to the ‘targeting rules’ established by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).

Since July 2023, the KSA has enforced a ‘ban on untargeted mass-market gambling advertising,’ a policy that applies to all Dutch media platforms.

This ban was a component of the initial revisions to the Remote Gambling Act (KOA), the legislative framework that launched the Netherlands’ regulated online gambling market in October 2021.

Under stringent requirements, license holders must guarantee that marketing campaigns are directed at individuals aged 24 and older, with campaigns needing to demonstrate a minimum compliance rate of 95%.

Operators are also obligated to present evidence of age verification, audience segmentation, and protective algorithms, with explicit instructions that campaigns must be halted if these compliance mechanisms are found to be inadequate.

Since 2023, the KSA has imposed fines totaling €400,000 on operators, including Bingoal, Hillside Media (bet365), TOTO NL, BetEnt, and JOI Casino, for violations of advertising and targeting regulations.

This morning, the KSA stated: “With the new guidance, the KSA therefore clarifies how these conditions must be interpreted and applied. The guidance addresses, among other things, advertising via external platforms and third parties, offering a genuine opportunity to refuse advertising, and the manner in which providers must record and substantiate their efforts and measurement results.”

Consequently, the KSA has introduced a new checklist for operators to complete before a marketing campaign is approved, ensuring that all targeting requirements are met.

License holders must first confirm that each advertising channel offers a clear and easily accessible opt-out mechanism, enabling users to decline gambling advertisements without difficulty or the necessity of registration.

Campaigns must also document the implementation of “best available measures” to exclude vulnerable groups, which include age-verification filters, behavioral targeting tools, and demographic segmentation, along with a critical evaluation of their reliability across various platforms.

A key element of the checklist will be the 95% threshold for ads targeting individuals over 24 years old. This must be supported by verifiable data and auditable reporting.

The KSA has acknowledged the limitations present in digital marketing environments, particularly social media, necessitating a cautious approach where campaigns must be withdrawn if platforms cannot guarantee compliant targeting outcomes.

The guidance has also reinforced the regulator’s directive that compliance is not a one-time certification but an ongoing monitoring obligation. License holders are expected to continuously assess campaign performance, re-evaluate platform risks, and update targeting methodologies in accordance with evolving technologies and user behaviors.

In essence, the KSA’s updated framework formalizes a ‘comply or cease’ standard for gambling marketing in the Netherlands, indicating that operators unable to demonstrate full control over audience targeting should refrain from advertising altogether.

Coalition duo backs blanket ban 

Developments in the Dutch parliament, the Kamer, have seen the country’s political landscape begin to address the regulatory overhaul of the KOA market.

This was a mandate approved before the snap election of 2025, which was won by the ‘New Centrist’ coalition comprising D66 Democraten 66 (D66), the People’s Party (VVD), and the Christian Democrats (CDA).

Advertising controls and enhanced protections for consumers under 24 have been identified as priority areas for the market’s regulatory overhaul, shaping the next phase of Dutch gambling regulation around duty-of-care principles requested by lawmakers.

Within the governing coalition, both the VVD and the Christian Democrats have expressed their support for implementing a complete ban on gambling advertisements across all channels and for raising the age limit to 21 years old.

As of February 2026, the reform dossier for Dutch gambling is overseen by State Secretary Claudia Van Bruggen, who is the third state secretary to manage the governance and reforms of the KOA market since 2023.