Kansspelautoriteit reports 856 illegal gambling apps removed in 2026
Regulation2 min read
Google and Apple removed 856 illegal gambling apps in the first nine months of 2026, according to answers to parliamentary questions on the 2027 Justice and Security budget. The Kansspelautoriteit said both companies remove apps it reports; the answers also cite a one-off €290,000 contribution for implementing the European anti-money-laundering package in 2026 and 2027.
Apple and Google remove all apps reported to them by the Dutch gambling regulator, according to answers to parliamentary budget questions. The number removed after reports from the Kansspelautoriteit in nine months exceeded the figure for all of 2025.
The total for 2025 was 1,021 removed apps, of which 33 followed reports from the regulator. For 2024, the ministry recorded 36 app removals, with fifteen following regulator reports.
The KSA uses its own inquiries and information from consumers and other parties to investigate apps. The regulator began reporting apps to Apple in August 2024 and to Google in May of the previous year. Investigated apps are often found to have been removed before the regulator files a report.
In April 2025, the KSA warned that apps posing as ordinary games redirected users to illegal gambling sites after download. It said logos of legal online casinos were sometimes misused, citing an app that used Holland Casino's logo. In July 2026, the regulator said it had acted separately against illegal gambling advertising in ordinary gaming apps, removing advertisements and suspending advertising partners.
The budget answers cited a one-off €290,000 contribution for implementing the European anti-money-laundering package in 2026 and 2027. The potential cost of proposed online gambling changes remains under examination and must be met within the KSA budget, supplemented by the ministry if necessary.