The Netherlands’ KSA estimates that unlicensed operators account for more than 50% of online gambling gross gaming revenue in the country, reportedly amid increased regulatory pressure and higher tax rates. The issue is due to feature at the Gaming in Holland 2025 conference in Amsterdam on 5 June.
The estimate indicates the scale of unlicensed competition facing licensed operators in the Netherlands.
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Nederlandse Loterij said it had sent cease-and-desist letters to companies and individuals linked to Skyhills in several jurisdictions, alleging the site targeted Dutch consumers. The lottery operator said the website became inaccessible to Dutch users shortly after its action; the move follows a court ruling in its case against Lalabet.
Nederlandse Loterij sued Skyhills over its alleged targeting of customers in the Netherlands without a local gambling licence. The lottery operator said Skyhills’ platform is no longer accessible to Dutch players; the lawsuit also seeks information about the people behind the business.
Nederlandse Loterij has taken legal action against Skyhills, saying the site targeted Dutch players, including young people, through advertising such as TikTok promotions. The lottery said the site went offline after its initial legal step and is seeking information about the businesses behind it; it also plans to appeal part of the Lalabet ruling.
Nederlandse Loterij asked a Dutch court to take Lalabet offline and disclose the beneficial owners behind its corporate structure, according to the company’s arguments in the case against Curaçao trust office DECC. Nederlandse Loterij alleged that DECC helped establish the company behind the site; DECC said it transferred management soon after incorporation and only handled physical post, denying operational involvement.
Lawyer Justin Franssen, a partner at Franssen Tolboom Attorneys at Law, accused the KSA of leaving existing enforcement powers unused against platforms carrying illegal gambling ads in the Netherlands. VNLOK chairman Björn Fuchs said the association's lawsuit seeks to compel Meta to fulfil its obligations under the EU Digital Services Act.
Lawyer Justin Franssen, a partner at Franssen Tolboom Attorneys at Law, said the KSA has the legal powers to act against Meta and other platforms that carry illegal gambling advertisements but does not use them. He made the accusation at the SBC Summit on Wednesday, according to a report of the panel. The Dutch online gambling trade association VNLOK has sued Meta, and its chairman, Björn Fuchs, set out what the association expects from the case.