Online Casinos in Netherlands

Are Online Casinos Allowed In The Netherlands?

As of Friday the 1st of October 2021, the Dutch Gambling Authority, also known as the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), made it legal to gamble online on offshore casinos. Before then, any betting on foreign casino sites was deemed illegal and carried stiff penalties.

KSA issued licenses to ten providers of online gambling games and new NL casinos. These were issued under strict guidelines that have to be followed for the more excellent protection of gamblers.

The Dutch government has opened up the growing gambling market to offshore online game providers. The current market is estimated to be worth about €800 million, with approximately 1.5 million active online gamblers within the country’s borders.

The more popular forms of online betting offered by Dutch casinos include:

• Blackjack.
• Poker.
• Roulette.
• Slot machines.
• Sports betting.

The Netherlands had been tentative with introducing private-sector and foreign casinos into the market. Ideas to bring about new laws governing gambling were first tabled in 2012, and by March 2021, the final laws had been drafted and agreed upon.

The new Remote Dutch Gambling Act still shares the same strict approach to gambling as previous laws. Under the new regulations:

• Game providers must comply with strict supervision conditions to reduce the likelihood of gambling addiction.
• Rules against money laundering must be upheld at all times.
• A gambling tax shall be payable by all providers.
• Providers will not allow any players under the age of 18.
• Advertising by providers should not be misleading, nor should it lead to excessive gambling.

Overall, it is great news for gamblers in the Netherlands, whether seasoned or new.

New Online Casinos In the Netherlands

The opening up of the Dutch gambling market to more online gambling offered by foreign casinos has led to an increase in the number of casinos available to Dutch gamblers. There are also many more new casinos and games being developed to cope with the rising number of players.

Most of these new NL casinos operate under the United Kingdom Gaming Commision (UKGC) and the Malta Gaming Authority. These are two of the most trusted and reliable game regulators on the market. Below we have taken the time to compile a list of some new online casinos in the Netherlands.

Most Popular Slots In The Netherlands

Most casinos have an excessive of 1,500 games on offer on their sites. Software vendors are constantly updating these as they aim to keep players entertained.

Currently, there are over 200 online casinos that are vying for the Dutch players’ attention.

Some of the top game providers in the Netherlands market are:

• Novomatic
• Big Time Gaming
• Microgaming
• NetEnt

The most popular games making waves in the Dutch market are:

Monopoly Megaways Slot

Big Time Gaming brought the popular board game Monopoly to the megaways slots arena. Monopoly Megaways was launched in 2019. The six reels slots game has alternating numbers of symbols on each reel, and, in turn, this alters the number of ways to win.

It has up to 117,649 paylines, giving players more chances to win.

Play Monopoly Megaways for Free

Game Features

As a megaways slot game, it comes with cascading reels are also called the Reaction feature by Big Time Gaming. Winning clusters cause symbols to disappear and are replaced by new ones, which, if they match, add more to your winnings. There are 64 more ways to win due to this feature.

Monopoly Megaways has free spins, multipliers, and wild symbols that will increase your winnings, adding to its popularity.

RTP And Bets

It is a high volatility game with an RTP of 96.4%. The minimum bet you can place is €0.10, and the maximum is €20.

Cleopatra Slots

It is an online Cleopatra slot game developed by IGT (International Gaming Technology). The gamed is based on the Egyptian queen and is designed visually with Egyptian culture in mind.

The game has five reels and 20 paylines. It has an autoplay feature and a demo game for you to practice.

Game Features

The eye of Horus symbol is the lowest paying of the special symbols. It will earn you 250x your stake. Next is the gold tablet pendant, which will earn you 450x your stake.

The Scarab Beetle symbol will earn you 750x, and the highest symbol is represented by Cleopatra herself and earns you 10,000x. Cleopatra also acts as a wild symbol which allows you to double the percentage payout.

Legend of Cleopatra Megaways Slot

RTP and Bets

Cleopatra is a medium volatility slots game, and it has an RTP of 95%. The minimum bet is set at €0.10, and the maximum you can place on a coin is €200.

Book Of Dead Slot

Book of Dead remains one of the most famous Ancient Egyptian-themed slots on the market. It was developed by Play’n Go. Features five reels and a three-row grid. Other high-value symbols include a golden head of Pharoah, a bust of Anubis, and a sculpture of Horus.

Book of Dead Free Play

Game Features

High-value symbols include a golden head of Pharoah, a bust of Anubis and, a sculpture of the falcon of Horus. The gold book acts as the wild in this game, and unlike most games where the scatter cannot be replaced, the wild is the scatter as well.

Play’n Go has added an expanding reels feature to the game. When played during free spins, a random reel symbol fills up the reel and stacks all winning paylines.

Another great feature is Gamble. At the end of each winning round, you can boost your winnings by 2x or 4x by guessing the colour of the card that will be drawn.

RTP And Bets

It is a high volatility slots game with an RTP of 96.2%. The lowest value you can put is €0.10, and the highest you can bet is €50.

Amazing Factory Slot

Amazing Factory is a five reels slot game developed by Playtech. The game is set in a magic factory where gold bars and coins are manufactured. Everything within the factory is made of gold, dazzling all who play it and making you feel like nobility.

Amazing Factory Slot – Available for free play

Game Features

The game has 40 paylines and a maximum payout of 1000x your stack. The lower-earning symbols are represented by the Royals. The other golden objects, the keys, watches, and gold coins, are all symbols that earn you more and unlock free spins when you land them.

Amazing Factory has a wild feature, but it is not attached to any other bonuses. Instead, the scatters trigger free spins, and you get six free spins that can be retriggered.

RTP And Bets

Amazing Factory has high volatility and an RTP of 96.5, which you should be aiming for from a good slots game. The minimum coin value that you can place with each spin is €0.20. Playtech went big with the maximum coin value, which is set at €500.

Gonzo’s Quest Megaway

Gonzo’s Quest Megaway Slot was created by NetEnt and Red Tiger Gaming and is the Megways version of the iconic Gonzo’s Quest video slot. It is a six reels slot game with two to seven symbols on each reel.

It has a free fall “Avalanche” feature and up to 117,649 paylines.

Gonzo’s Quest

Game Features

Not much has changed from the original game in terms of graphics. The display is very much Mayan-themed. The lower paying symbols are all stone tablets with animals on them.

The Mayan mask symbols get you up to 4x times your stake for six on a reel, while the mask with the medical symbol earns you the most at 15x your stake when you land six.

There are six bonuses within the game.

There is an earthquake feature that appears randomly. When this happens, symbols of lower value are replaced by symbols with higher values. During the avalanche, winning symbols explode and disappear, leaving room for new symbols to fall into their places, creating more winning chances.

RTP

The RTP in this slot game is 96%, and the lowest bet is €0.10, while the highest is set at €10.

Other Popular Casino Games In the Netherlands

Before the legalisation of online casinos in the Netherlands, the most popular form of gambling came from playing lotteries and scratchers. According to a survey conducted in 2018 by Breuer Interval, 54.4% of respondents indicated that they played the lottery. 9.5 of the respondents indicated that they had played scratchers.

Some of the other popular casino games include:

Roulette

The European, American, and French roulette versions are the most played variants in the Netherlands. The difference in each is not that great, and the general gameplay is similar.

You do not need a lot of skill to play this game.

Pick a colour between red and black, and pick the number to place your bet and spin the wheel.

Roulette is available both online and on casino floors.

Poker

There are many variants of poker to choose from. There is Texas Hold ’em, 6+ Hold ’em, Omaha High, and Swap Hold ’em, just to mention a few. They are available online (video poker) and on casino table floors.

Poker is more a game of skill and takes some learning to get used to as there are a lot of technical times involved. There are many ways to win a hand, and we suggest you learn how to call a bluff before you get started.

Read our Poker guide

Baccarat

Baccarat is a game of chance with little to no skill involved. It is played between you, the player, and the banker. It is a card comparison game. The dealer deals two cards each for you and the banker, and the one whose cards total closest to nine wins the hand.

You can either bet on the player’s hand or the banker’s hand to win. If you bet on the player’s hand and win, it doubles what you bet. If the banker’s hand wins, you will receive 95% of your bet.

Read our Baccarat Guide

Netherlands Sports Betting Sites

Sports betting in the Netherlands is set to evolve thanks to lifting the ban on online betting and the legalisation of any gambling activities. Sports betting was run by a Dutch company called De Lotto. It had a monopoly on sports betting within the country. Bets were mainly placed in the shops or using the company website Toto.

Betting through the Dutch site was very limited as compared to other bookmakers. There were only seven sports that were offered to players to bet on.

These were:

• Football
• Tennis
• Formula One
• Cycling
• Basketball
• Hockey
• Baseball

Some international bookmakers used to offer their services online in the Dutch language to cater to Dutch players. William Hill, Unibet, Betsson, and Expekt were the more notable bookmakers offering these services.

In August 2019, the Netherlands gambling regulator, the KSA, issued fines to bookmakers that made it possible for Dutch players to play on their sites. The access granted to Dutch players violated the 1964 Gambling Act.

That led to many bookmakers withdrawing the language service to ensure compliance. On the other hand, Unibet did little in this effect and continues to offer its services to Dutch players. This is because almost 86% of the population can converse in English, and the company does not necessarily need to have a different language option.

The tide is turning with the new Remote Gambling Act, which will see many more sports betting companies being allowed to operate in the Netherlands. We will draw up a list of the best sports betting sites below:

• 20 Bet
• FunBet

Most Popular Casino Payment Methods In the Netherlands

There is a wide range of payment methods available to Dutch gamblers which are compatible with many bookmakers. Bank transfers, credit, and debit card payments are all viable options, including a vast number of e-wallet options are also available.

Cryptocurrency payments have also entered the space and have given the citizens of the Netherlands more diverse payment options to select from. We have gone out and looked for five of the most popular casino payment methods for you:

iDeal

The most popular online payment system in the Netherlands is iDeal. The service was first introduced in 2005 and is owned but the Dutch company Currence. Currence is also owned by Pin and Chipknip.

The online payment system accounts for approximately 54% of all online payment transactions in the Netherlands.Many of the banks in the Netherlands work in conjunction with iDeal. These include Friesland Bank, ING Bank, Rabobank, and Triodos Bank, amongst others.

Neteller

Neteller was formed in 1999 and is a part of the Paysafe Group. It is an e-money service used to make payments and transfer money.

Users can withdraw funds directly using a Net+ card or transfer the funds directly to their bank accounts. It is a popular form of payment accepted by online casinos and bookmakers, and it is available to Dutch players.

Bank Credit Cards And Debit Cards

Many banks in the Netherlands allow their citizens to make online payments using their credit cards and bank cards. Despite there being a lot of other digital wallet platforms, many Dutch players still use their cards.

Gambling Regulator In Netherlands

The Netherlands Gaming Authority (NGA) or Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) is responsible for supervising all betting activities in the Netherlands. The KSA has always imposed strict rules for all gambling within the country to control the market activities and protect its citizens. The KSA passed the 1964 Gambling Act, saw more stringent control on gambling activities, and granted the state the ultimate right as the only provider of betting games.

This restricted any foreign companies operating or offering gambling services to Dutch citizens. The government of the Netherlands also set up its own casinos and online platforms. Until the new remote Act in 2021, they were the only legal gambling operators Dutch players could play with.

A fine of €150,000 was issued to ONISAC Ltd and Mansion Online by the KSA as it was judged that they offered Dutch players their services. Their websites offered Dutch language options, which was in violation of Dutch law.

A Caribbean-based site, Global Star, received a similar fine for actively courting Dutch customs, and many other penalties were issued to different online sites. There are currently two other country regulators that allow Dutch players. You can play online casinos governed by the United Kingdom Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority.

Netherlands Gambling Restrictions

When the Dutch government opened up the gambling market to foreign-based companies, they also put strict measures that incense holders should abide by.

As well as not allowing players below the age of 18, here is a list of restrictions for remote gambling operators:

1. Applicants must be a public limited or private limited company registered in the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA).
2. All operators are obliged to place a control database in the Netherlands.
3. Remote operators are to monitor and analyse player behaviour and intervene wherever necessary.
4. All electronic means used for games of chance must be located in the EU/EEA.
5. All operators must pay a gambling tax.
6. Advertising must not be misleading or lead to gambling addiction.
7. License holders must have at least one addicting prevention representative for the country. They do not need to be present in the country, but they need to make their services available when necessary.
8. The Netherlands has an exclusion system known as the Central Exclusion Register (CRUKS), which all operators must connect to. Once a player has been excluded from gambling for whatever reason, all operators are to deny access to their services to the individual.

Gambling Taxes In Netherlands

As with many countries, Dutch gamblers are required to pay taxes on their winnings. According to Dutch regulations, you will need to pay 29% tax for winnings gained from Dutch betting sites.

There is, however, a minimum earning limit that is not taxable. If your winning is under €454, you will be exempt from paying tax on this.

Tax is also not charged if the amount spent on gambling is higher than the prize money. For instance, if you gamble for €10,000 but you only receive €8,000. You will not be liable for tax.

On the other hand, the good news is that current Dutch law does not require you to pay any taxes on winnings made on online international betting platforms in the Netherlands.

Any winning made from sites governed by the European Union does not require Dutch citizens to pay tax. As the government opened remote gambling to Dutch citizens, more is yet to be seen in terms of lifting the ban on Dutch gamblers.

History Of Gambling In the Netherlands

Organised gambling in the Netherlands dates back to the early 1800s and is a part of Dutch society. The first lottery, the Nederlandse Staatsloteri (national state lottery), was formed in 1726. It is the longest-running state lottery in the world.

In the early 1900s, a ban was put on all sports betting and other games betting activities. The state lottery was the only format that survived this ban. The new Gambling Act in 1964 saw some concessions made as sports betting was legalised but as another state monopoly. The government allowed casino games and more lotteries, which monopolised these too.

In the mid-1970s, Dutch citizens were allowed to go to the casino for the first time in the country’s history. The Dutch government has primarily kept tight control over gambling activities. It set up six different monopolies that offer all the different gambling formats within the country.

More recently, the government passed a new Remote Gambling Act that will allow Dutch citizens to legally participate in gambling activities on international online casino sites.

The Dutch gambling market is estimated to be worth over €3.1 billion and is set to continue rising with the lifting of restrictions.

Dutch gamblers grew from less than 500,000 people in 2015 to about 1,5 million people in 2020. The Dutch government also plans to privatise four of the 14 casinos run by the state monopoly Holland Casino as a part of its modernisation strategy. The rise of the internet and the accessibility of online gambling sites have added to the decision to ease restrictions on gambling within the country.

Land-Based Gambling In Netherlands

Land-based gambling is legal in the Netherlands. The first form of betting on Dutch soil was the Staatsloteri (national state lottery), established as early as 1726. The government of the Netherlands has a state-owned monopoly on all offline gambling activities in the country.

All casino games such as Blackjack, Poker, and Roulette are only offered by the state-run Holland Casino, which has 14 casinos. Besides the national lottery, there are good causes lotteries that you can play via scratchers.

The state has a monopoly on all horse race betting within the country. There are a limited number of sports you can bet on in the Netherlands, including football and formula one. These are only available from the state-owned sports betting company De Lotto.

There are 42,000 privately owned slot machines in restaurants, arcades, and bars across the Netherlands. These are all closely monitored by the KSA. According to the KSA, the legal gambling sector turnover is worth an estimated €2 billion. About €500 million goes to charities, and another €500 million goes to the treasury.

Netherlands Gambling Addiction Help

The government takes great concern in the wellbeing of its citizens especially concerning gambling addiction. It has implemented numerous restrictions like banning advertising that promotes or could lead to gambling addiction.

It has also placed a rule for all newly licensed betting operators to have a support/help system available for players suffering from addiction. Betting houses and casinos would also advertise the risks of gambling addiction to all their patrons.

In the Netherlands, there is a Netherlands Gamblers Anonymous run by the firm Gordon Moody. They offer support to all those who might be facing gambling addiction. On the Gordon Moody website, you will find information leading you to support groups and information that can help you curb your addiction.

Gordon Moody even has a dedicated app for this service. You can also find more information about gambling addiction on the Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA) website.

There you will find links to other organisations that work with addictions.

Some of these that are available are:

• Stitching Hands
• AGOG
• Jellinek
• Gokkeninfo
• Gokkendebaas

Most of these have a free hotline to call whenever you need help.

Did You Know?

Only ten companies were granted a gambling license when the new Remote Gambling Act was put into place on the 1st of September 2021.

Twenty-nine predominantly Dutch companies had put forward their application for an online gambling license, but only ten met the strict requirements.

The ten successful companies are:

• Toto Online
• FPO Netherlands
• Holland Casino
• GGPoker
• Play North
• Tombola
• Bet365
• Bingoal Netherlands
• Betent
• LiveScore Malta

Final Verdict

The emergence of online casinos and online casino games has led the Dutch government to change its stance on online gambling. The state-owned sites have come under pressure to modernise and offer more services to much foreign competition.

The new Remote Gambling Act will help the growth of the gambling market as it introduces players to more service providers. This will be heavily regulated by the KSA, the body responsible for governing all gambling activities in the country, and limit the risk of addiction amongst Dutch citizens.

In the Netherlands, there are many emphases placed on protecting citizens from gambling addiction. Various restrictions, including advertising bans, are in place to discourage gambling addiction.

We believe the best gamblers know when to stop and if you feel that you might have a gambling addiction, please seek the necessary help. There are a wide variety of organisations that are willing to help.