The Netherlands Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit or KSA) has wrapped up a six-month investigation into illegal gambling advertisements appearing in mainstream media outlets.
What the regulator discovered is that a plethora of newspapers and magazines had been unknowingly promoting unlicensed online casinos.
Many of the offenders did not integrate with Cruks, the country’s self-exclusion system designed to protect vulnerable players, prompting enforcement.
According to the KSA, this creates a serious risk of players being lured into illegal gambling without even realizing they are outside the bounds of regulated, safer play.
While an investigation of this ilk would typically look at the direct links to black market gambling operators, this one also flagged articles and sponsored content that included brand recommendations, casino logos, or even images of Dutch banks.
All of the above can be used to provide visual cues that can falsely legitimize illegal platforms.
As part of the probe, the KSA reached out to 42 editorial teams to inform them of the violations and urge immediate action.
In every case, the offending content was removed, and editors received detailed guidance on how to avoid similar breaches going forward.
“The research shows that players can be misled into gambling outside Cruks without their knowledge,” the KSA said in a statement. “We urge players to always consult the Gambling Guide at Kansspelautoriteit.nl, which lists all licensed operators in the Netherlands.”
The announcement came shortly after the KSA raised flags about Analyse Master, a sports betting tipster platform popular with younger audiences.
Although no regulatory violations were identified in that case, the regulator expressed concern about the influence of social media betting content on young adults since it is a group more prone to gambling harm.
KSA Chair Michel Groothuizen commented:
“The current advertising bans target licensed gambling providers, not third-party promoters like Analyse Master. But the rise of influencer-style gambling content targeting young people is deeply worrying.”
Groothuizen welcomed recent comments from State Secretary Struycken, who signaled intentions to expand advertising rules so that the KSA can take direct enforcement action against content creators and platforms that promote gambling without a license.
A wider enforcement push
The investigation into media ads is part of a broader crackdown by the Dutch regulator in recent months.
Earlier in March, the KSA fined Sarah Eternal €900,000 for running an unlicensed online casino, Casinosky.
In the same month, the regulator also took down several underground poker tournaments in cities including Amsterdam, The Hague, and Asten, where tens of thousands in cash was seized, and fines handed out.
Additionally, the KSA is targeting illegal features on licensed platforms such as autoplay functions, which are banned under Dutch law due to their links to problem gambling behavior.
