The Dutch Gaming Authority (Kansspelautoriteit/KSA) announced that it had conducted research into the promotion of illegal gambling in the Netherlands. The regulator probed magazines and online newspapers and understood that players are sometimes seduced by insidious offshore operators offering no player protections.
The Black Market Has Found New Ways to Promote Its Products
The KSA researched advertisements across magazines and online newspapers after receiving multiple reports about news articles, that invited players to enjoy casino gaming without Cruks, the Netherlands’ self-exclusion scheme.
Cruks allows players to stop gambling when they feel that they are losing control of their gambling behavior. It is a crucial element of the regulated gaming market in the Netherlands, providing vulnerable players with a shield against temptation.
Active promotion to at-risk or harmed players can be devastating. Unfortunately, this is exactly what some of the ads the KSA identified did.
The KSA Warned 42 Editors
The KSA explained that its investigation focused on advertising in the broad sense. As a result, it investigated not only direct links to illegal websites but also other promotional features, including recommendations, logos of providers, and images of Dutch banks.
As a result of its investigation, the Kansspelautoriteit contacted 42 editors, emphasizing how “reprehensible” the promotion of casinos without Cruks was. The editors were asked to immediately remove any links and advertisements promoting illegal gambling services.
In addition to that, all violators were sent a letter with more information on how to prevent such issues in the future.
Players Are Seduced into Illegal Gambling
In conclusion, the KSA said that its investigation proved that players are sometimes “seduced into illegal gambling.” Sometimes they can play without even realizing that the service they are using lacks Cruks and other protective measures.
Because of that, the authority called on players to be vigilant and consult the Gambling Guide on its official website before wagering their money away. The guide is available on kansspelautoriteit.nl and outlines all licensed providers that can conduct online gambling legally.
KVA Criticized the Government’s Approach to Regulation
Speaking of unlicensed gambling, Quality Mark for Responsible Affiliates (Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates/KVA), a Dutch union representing the affiliate sector, recently criticized the government’s approach to regulation.
KVA insisted that browser searches for “casino without Cruks” or “casino without limits” have skyrocketed since October when the country introduced deposit limits. Whereas the association recorded 172,576 such searches in October 2024, the number had risen to a staggering 1,009,589 by mid-March 2025.
The LVA emphasized that the Netherlands’ over-zealousness in creating a fraud-free regulated market where all gambling is done legally has had certain unintended adverse effects.
In other news, Nederlandse Loterij, the Dutch Lottery, reportedly took an illegal online gambling operator to court. According to reports, the lottery operator initiated its legal proceedings against Lalabet, a Costa Rica-based company that operates a gambling website in the Netherlands without a license.
