The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has intensified its cooperation with sports associations and clubs as part of ongoing efforts to enforce the country’s ban on untargeted gambling advertising, including restrictions on sports sponsorship.
Since the sponsorship ban came into force, the regulator has increased monitoring of gambling-related advertising in sports settings and has engaged directly with sports organisations to clarify their responsibilities.
According to KSA, no significant violations by licensed operators have been identified since the ban was implemented, although the authority noted that compliance issues can arise in cross-border contexts.
One area of ambiguity highlighted by the regulator involves international matches in which foreign teams wear shirts displaying gambling sponsors that are legal in their home jurisdictions. To address this, KSA said it has provided guidance and practical support to Dutch sports bodies to help ensure the rules are applied correctly during domestic broadcasts and promotional activity.
The regulator cited several examples of positive compliance. In a CEV Cup volleyball match played in Apeldoorn, Olympiacos Piraeus removed a foreign gambling sponsor logo from its shirts.
In football, consultations between KSA and the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) ahead of AZ’s match against Jagiellonia Białystok resulted in the use of a logo linked to a score website with no references to gambling services.
The authority also noted instances where clubs opted for blank shirts or logos from their own foundations.
However, KSA said it has intervened where issues were identified. Following international fixtures involving Ajax and Go Ahead Eagles, letters were sent to the clubs after gambling-related imagery appeared in match footage used for summaries distributed in the Netherlands.
The regulator stressed that particular care is required when handling international broadcasts that may include virtual advertising.
KSA has said it will continue close consultation with sports organisations, maintain enhanced supervision at international competitions and take enforcement action where necessary.
This latest initiative follows other recent regulatory efforts by KSA. In December, the authority introduced new Commitment to Integrity guidelines aimed at reducing match-fixing risks and held a roundtable with industry operators to address player protection and duty of care challenges, including issues around the CRUKS self-exclusion service.
International match productions can include virtual billboards that vary by market, creating compliance challenges when footage is distributed across different jurisdictions
