Netherlands Plans Full Online Gambling Ad and Bonus Ban

The Dutch government has set out plans for another major tightening of online gambling law, this time placing a complete advertising ban and a ban on player bonuses at the centre of a wider player-protection package.

State Secretary for Justice and Security Claudia van Zanten announced the direction on June 12. The government says the future bill should also create a deposit limit that follows a player across licensed operators, require financial-capacity checks before that limit can be raised, strengthen the Cruks self-exclusion system and give authorities more power against illegal gambling websites.

The immediate takeaway is important: these are confirmed government proposals, but they are not yet final law. The ministry will develop the measures into legislation, and the eventual text can change during consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.

A broader package than an advertising ban

The advertising and bonus restrictions will attract most of the attention because they are easy to see. The more consequential change for account design may be the proposed cross-operator deposit limit. Instead of setting an isolated limit at each casino, a player would face one ceiling covering all licensed providers.

A player who wants to raise that ceiling would need to show sufficient financial capacity. That would move affordability checks closer to the moment when risk increases, rather than leaving operators to react only after a pattern of heavy losses is visible.

The government also wants voluntary Cruks exclusions to continue until the player actively ends them, rather than expiring automatically. It is considering a route for relatives to request someone’s inclusion when serious harm is evident. Those details will need careful legal safeguards, but the policy direction is clear: self-exclusion is being treated as an active protection rather than a calendar setting.

Why bonuses are now in the line of fire

Welcome offers, reload deals, free spins and cashback are not merely price promotions in an online casino. They can change session length, withdrawal conditions and the point at which a player decides to stop. The Dutch plan treats those incentives as part of the risk environment.

That does not mean every bonus causes harmful gambling. It means regulators see a problem when inducements make a deposit feel urgent, disguise the cost of wagering or bring a player back immediately after a loss. TopGamb’s guide to casino bonus win caps shows how a headline reward can also carry conditions that materially reduce its cash value.

For players, the practical lesson already applies outside the Netherlands: compare the wagering requirement, maximum bet, game contribution, expiry period and withdrawal rules before treating any offer as value. A large percentage is not useful if the path to cash is unclear.

The Netherlands has been moving in this direction for years

This is not a sudden reversal. Untargeted advertising for remote gambling was prohibited in July 2023, covering television, radio, print and public spaces. Transitional arrangements for online-gambling sponsorship later ended, leaving licensed operators with a much narrower marketing route.

The new proposal goes further by aiming at a complete advertising ban. That creates an obvious policy tension. Licensed casinos need enough visibility for players to distinguish them from offshore sites, while the government wants to reduce exposure and inducement-led gambling. A ban can protect vulnerable groups, but its success will depend partly on whether illegal operators can still reach Dutch players through search, affiliates, social media and mirror domains.

That is why the enforcement section matters. The plan includes authority to block illegal gambling sites, while banks would be able to warn the regulator about suspicious payment traffic connected to unlicensed gambling. The government also wants to address gaming machines in amusement arcades and hospitality venues, showing that the package is not limited to websites.

What players and operators should watch next

No implementation date has been confirmed. The next meaningful milestone will be the draft bill, where definitions become crucial. Lawmakers will need to specify what counts as advertising, whether informational communication is exempt, how a bonus is defined and how one cross-operator deposit limit will function technically.

Operators should also watch the affordability standard. A rule that asks for evidence only at a clearly defined threshold is different from one that creates repeated document requests during ordinary play. The final design must protect players without turning basic account management into an opaque compliance process.

Readers comparing casinos in the meantime should still use TopGamb’s legit gambling-site checks, review the casino KYC process and understand available self-exclusion tools. A licence is the starting point; payment clarity, limits and complaint handling remain part of the decision.

Editorial view

The strongest parts of the Dutch package are the ones that reduce fragmentation. A limit that works across operators is harder to evade than five separate account limits, and a self-exclusion that remains active until a considered decision is less fragile than one that quietly expires.

The advertising ban is more difficult. Reducing relentless promotion is a defensible goal, especially around young adults and people already showing harm. But the legal market also needs a way to be identified. If illegal sites stay visible while licensed brands disappear, enforcement will carry more of the burden than the policy debate sometimes admits.

Gambling should remain entertainment, not a way to recover losses or solve financial pressure. Set a deposit limit that fits disposable income, do not raise it during a session and use a time-out or self-exclusion when stopping becomes difficult.

Questions readers may have

Has the Netherlands already banned all online gambling advertising?

No. Existing rules already prohibit untargeted advertising and online-gambling sponsorship, but the newly announced complete ban still needs to be written into a bill and passed.

Would the proposal ban online casinos?

No. It would tighten the regulated market’s marketing, bonus, deposit-limit and player-protection rules while expanding enforcement against unlicensed operators.

When will the new rules start?

The government has not announced an effective date. The proposal must first become draft legislation and complete the legislative process.

Further reading

• NEXT.io: Netherlands to introduce complete ban on online gambling ads, June 12, 2026.
• Kansspelautoriteit: current main rules for gambling advertising.
• GamblingNews: Dutch lawmakers consider iGaming ad and bonuses ban, June 12, 2026.