Nederlandse Loterij has secured a five-year renewal of TOTO Online’s remote gambling licence in the Netherlands, allowing the operator to continue offering online sports betting and casino games from 1 October 2026.
The renewal places TOTO Online among the first operators to pass through the Dutch market’s initial relicensing cycle. The Netherlands launched its regulated remote gambling market under the Remote Gambling Act on 1 October 2021, with the original licences issued for five-year terms.
Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) Chair, Michel Groothuizen, said in January that the regulator had learned extensively from the market’s first five years.
The renewal process is expected to place greater scrutiny on compliance records, duty-of-care controls and the treatment of players showing signs of gambling-related harm.
Nederlandse Loterij said the extension would allow TOTO Online to continue operating while maintaining its focus on identifying risky gambling behaviour and intervening when customers appear to be losing control.
The licence arrives during a period of pressure on the regulated Dutch online sector. KSA figures indicated that licensed online gambling revenue fell by approximately 18.5% year-on-year during 2025, leaving the market at an estimated annual level of around €1.2bn ($1.4bn).
Channelisation measured by player numbers remained close to 94%, meaning most Dutch online gamblers used licensed websites. However, channelisation measured by expenditure fell below 50% during the first half of 2025, with an estimated €617m spent through illegal operators compared with €600m through licensed businesses.
The decline has increased debate over whether tighter affordability controls, advertising restrictions and higher taxation are pushing higher-spending customers towards unlicensed platforms.
The gambling tax rate increased from 34.2% to 37.8% at the beginning of 2026, following an earlier rise from 30.5% in 2025. Sports sponsorship by gambling operators has also been prohibited since July 2025, completing a phased expansion of Dutch advertising restrictions.
Nederlandse Loterij said effective enforcement against illegal websites must accompany an accessible regulated offering if the licensed market is to retain players.
Nederlandse Loterij appointed Ageeth Bakker as CFRO in July, with the former Bovemij Group executive due to join its Board of Directors on 1 November. The appointment followed an €8m loss for 2025 as higher gambling taxes and regulatory measures affected the operator’s financial performance.
TOTO Online was one of the first ten operators licensed when the Netherlands opened its regulated online gambling market in October 2021
