State Secretary Claudia van Bruggen told a Dutch parliamentary committee debate on gambling that tackling illegal offers was a top priority. She said she wanted further regulation of the legal online market but rejected restoring an online gambling ban and would not raise the minimum age to 21 for now.
Operators face further regulation while the government prioritises measures against illegal gambling.
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KSA chairman Michel Groothuizen renewed his call for a co-ordinated European response to illegal betting after a parliamentary debate in the Netherlands. He said national enforcement has limited reach against global operators and noted that fines can be difficult to collect.
Dutch lawmakers urged the government to strengthen enforcement against illegal gambling during a parliamentary committee debate. State Secretary for Justice KT van Bruggen said the government is developing legislation for DNS blocking, with a public consultation expected in early 2027. She also said officials are engaging with Meta and Google over illegal gambling advertisements and will receive reports every six months.
Dutch online gambling association VNLOK said it plans to take Meta to court over adverts for unlicensed gambling appearing on its platforms in the Netherlands. VNLOK said Meta had removed only 5% of illegal gambling adverts and added that it had contacted the European Commission.
The Netherlands' KSA has not ruled out legal action against Google and Meta over illegal gambling advertising. KSA board chairman Michel Groothuizen discussed efforts against illegal gambling five years after the regulated online market opened.
Dutch State Secretary Claudia van Bruggen pledged to draft legislation allowing DNS blocks of foreign gambling sites during a parliamentary committee debate. MPs supported stronger measures against unlicensed operators but disagreed over player protection. Van Bruggen opposed immediately raising the minimum gambling age to 21 and rejected a complete advertising ban.