Dutch lawmakers have called for tougher and faster action against illegal gambling sites, with broad support across political parties for stronger enforcement.
The issue was a key focus of a three-hour Gambling Committee debate on Thursday, which also covered gambling advertising, player protection and the legal gambling age.
Ten committee members discussed research papers, industry reports and a letter from Justice State Secretary KT van Bruggen on the risks associated with gambling. The debate also addressed the Kansspelautoriteit’s (KSA) estimate that channelisation to the legal market had fallen below 50%.
Despite differences on other issues, MPs across the political spectrum agreed that enforcement against illegal operators needed to be strengthened.
Lawmakers called for measures to block illegal gambling websites and urged the government to give the KSA greater powers to act against payment providers, social media platforms and affiliates that facilitate illegal gambling.
Van Bruggen said the government is developing legislation to introduce DNS blocking for illegal gambling sites, with a public consultation expected in early 2027.
MPs also raised concerns about illegal gambling advertisements appearing on social media platforms.
Van Bruggen said the government was engaging with Meta and Google on the issue and would receive reports every six months on illegal gambling advertising appearing on the platforms. She also said the issue should be addressed at EU level through the Digital Services Act.
VVD lawmakers called on the government to take a “harder stance” towards major technology platforms.
The committee also debated whether the legal gambling age should be raised from 18 to 21.
SGP MP Diederik van Dijk and CDA MP Tijs van den Brink were among those supporting the increase. Van Bruggen said more evidence was needed to determine whether raising the age could push younger players towards unlicensed gambling sites.
The government will revisit the issue in future progress reports.
Moreover, Van Dijk also called for a reversal of the Netherlands’ 2021 online gambling legalisation and suggested a ban on gambling advertising, including promotions for lotteries and land-based casinos. He also questioned the government’s role in state-owned gambling operators Holland Casino and Nederlandse Loterij.
Ultimately, the secretary of state said that work to increase black market enforcement would be prioritized in the Netherlands, while increasing the gambling age would be revisited once the illegal market is under control.