Dutch MPs have tabled motions seeking tougher action on illegal gambling advertisements carried by online platforms and a complete ban on gambling advertising. Both were introduced during a 23 September gambling debate in the Tweede Kamer and are scheduled for a vote on 29 September.
The first motion, submitted by VVD MP Bikkers with Tijs van den Brink and Mohandis, asks the Government to amend the Gambling Act. Under the proposal, a platform that repeatedly displays illegal gambling advertisements after a removal request would itself commit an offence.
The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), could then impose an administrative fine or an order subject to penalty payments.
The motion says the KSA reports thousands of removal requests to Meta each month without lasting results. It also argues that a specific legal requirement is missing to ensure platforms remove adverts following repeated reports and prevent them from reappearing. These are claims made in the motion, not findings adopted by parliament.
State Secretary Van Bruggen left the platform proposal to MPs’ judgment. She advised against a separate motion by SGP MP Diederik van Dijk calling for a total ban on advertising for all gambling products, online and offline, alongside substantially stronger enforcement against illegal gambling advertising.
Van Bruggen said the Government’s immediate priority is protective measures for online gambling. She acknowledged challenges in land-based gambling but said she would consider those after the online legislative process is complete.
Neither motion changes the law at this stage. Even if MPs approve the platform proposal, the requested penalties would require the Government to introduce the relevant legal provisions. The contrasting government responses leave the scope of any future advertising restrictions open pending the vote and subsequent policy decisions.
The advertising debate follows a CPB analysis of how Dutch gambling tax changes could affect demand and channelisation. It also sits alongside operators’ introduction of direct transfers to gambling support services and the release of a research model designed to help regulators assess risky online gambling behaviour.
Neither motion would introduce penalties or an advertising ban on its own
