The Netherlands Gaming Authority has adopted new licensing rules which require operators to submit an exit plan for leaving the market, ahead of the renewal of licences next year.
The new rules were published in the Official Gazette of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Tuesday (2 September) and come into force on 1 January 2026, in advance of the expiry of the current five-year licences which were granted in September 2021 and expire on 1 October 2026.
In order to apply for a licence, all online gambling operators will be required to submit an exit plan which describes how they will leave the market in the event that their licence ends.
This must include the legal, financial, organisational, technical and communication aspects of the settlement of the game offer, particularly in relation to customer payouts.
There are also new rules for the gambling regulator’s reliability test to determine an operator’s suitability for licensure, with operators that have failed to abide by Dutch court rulings likely to be found unsuitable for licensure.
Licence renewal applicants will also have to explain how they have complied with anti-money laundering regulations and Duty of Care obligations in the Netherlands.
“When opening the online market, the legislator deliberately chose to issue permits with a term of up to five years. When using a fixed-term permit, the legislator intended that the KSA would take into consideration the supervisory experience gained with every application for a follow-up license,” said the Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).
“Providers who have made a mistake in the past five years should explain during the application procedure how they have learned from previous errors and how they will prevent repetition. If the KSA finds that explanation insufficient, the permit can be refused or additional conditions and restrictions can be imposed.”
Link: Policy rules for licensing of remote games of chance 2026