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Dutch gambling regulator outlines five priority areas for 2026, emphasizing illegal operator crackdowns and enhanced player safeguards.
Feb 27, 2026 · 3 min read
The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has outlined an intensified enforcement strategy for 2026, placing greater emphasis on combating illegal gambling operations and strengthening player protection measures across the Netherlands.
Toezichtagenda Kansspelautoriteit 2026 (PDF - 90.56 kB)
The Dutch regulator has identified five central themes that will guide its supervision activities next year:
KSA's 2026 Focus Areas
The Dutch gambling authority has identified five key supervision themes for 2026, with illegal gambling enforcement and player protection taking center stage in their regulatory approach.
Additional capacity will be allocated specifically to combat illegal gambling, with enforcement efforts focused on disrupting and making the infrastructure of illegal operators inaccessible. The KSA plans intensified cooperation with payment service providers, hosting providers and social media companies to disrupt unauthorized operations.
This approach mirrors the Dutch regulator's stepped-up sports sponsorship enforcement, demonstrating the authority's commitment to comprehensive market oversight across multiple channels.
Warning
The KSA will systematically target illegal operators through coordinated actions with payment providers, hosting companies, and social media platforms to make unauthorized gambling operations inaccessible.
Supporting these expanded priorities, the KSA's new organizational structure takes effect in January 2026, featuring a dedicated player protection department. This restructuring aligns with the ministry's renewed vision placing greater emphasis on player protection measures.
The complete supervision agenda is detailed in the Toezichtagenda Kansspelautoriteit 2026 PDF document (90.56 kB).
New Player Protection Department
Starting January 2026, the KSA's restructured organization will feature a dedicated player protection department, reflecting the ministry's renewed emphasis on consumer safeguarding measures.
This enforcement shift signals the KSA's commitment to market integrity and consumer protection. Licensed operators should expect heightened scrutiny of advertising practices and duty of care implementations, while unlicensed providers face systematic infrastructure disruption through coordinated enforcement actions across multiple service channels.
The Dutch regulator's recent ban on share-your-bet features illustrates the authority's willingness to take swift action when operators fail to meet compliance standards.
The KSA has identified five key areas: combating illegal gambling, protecting vulnerable groups, supervising duty of care obligations, advertising compliance oversight, and anti-money laundering compliance monitoring.
The authority will allocate additional capacity to disrupt illegal gambling infrastructure through intensified cooperation with payment service providers, hosting providers, and social media companies. This coordinated approach aims to make unauthorized operations inaccessible.
A new organizational structure takes effect in January 2026, featuring a dedicated player protection department. This restructuring aligns with the ministry's vision of placing greater emphasis on player protection measures.
According to Kansspelautoriteit.
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