Kansspelautoriteit (KSA)

The Kansspelautoriteit (Dutch Gaming Authority) was established on April 1, 2012, with three main goals: safeguarding consumers, preventing gambling addiction, and addressing illegal activities. As an independent organization, it is responsible for enforcing the Dutch Gambling Act 2021 (KOA) on behalf of the Minister for Legal Protection.

Key Responsibilities

The KSA asserts its commitment to “creating a world where games of chance are trustworthy, providers are transparent, and players are protected” – a commendable mission indeed. To fulfill this goal, the authority has outlined several key responsibilities:

Market Regulation: Granting licenses and ensuring that license conditions are strictly adhered to.
Supervision: Ensuring full compliance with all laws and regulations.
Enforcement: Taking decisive action against illegal gambling activities.
Addiction Prevention: Requiring licensees to implement strong safeguards and promote awareness of gambling risks.
Education and Information: Providing valuable information to both players and operators and addressing any queries.
Combatting Match-Fixing: Targeting match-fixing within sports betting among licensed operators.
Self-Exclusion: Offering players the means to exclude themselves from gambling.

Through rigorous measures and tight controls, the KSA ensures that only reputable operators are allowed to run businesses in the Dutch market.

Complaint Submission

The KSA states that if players experience issues with an operator, such as operating without a license, failing to pay winnings, allowing underage gambling, or engaging in fraud, they should report the matter to the authority. The KSA will use these reports to decide if further investigation is necessary. However, the authority does not mediate disputes between players and operators and recommends players to:

Address the issue directly with the operator
Contact a complaints officer or legal advisor
Report fraud to the police

After submitting a report, the player will only be contacted by the authority if additional information is required. The results of any investigations based on player reports can be viewed on the “Your Report, Our Supervision” page.

License Checking

All licensed gambling sites are required to display the KSA logo at the bottom of the page to confirm their legitimacy. However, for added security, it is recommended to take an extra step by checking the list of approved gambling licensees, also referred to as the Gambling Guide.

The information provided here includes details about the type of license held by the company, its validity period, the websites they operate, and their contact address.

Responsible Gambling

The KSA enforces stringent measures on operators offering games of chance to encourage responsible gambling. Operators are required to establish clear policies aimed at preventing addiction, provide mandatory training for their employees, and ensure that information about gambling addiction and self-exclusion is easily accessible to players. Additionally, operators must verify the age and identity of every player before they are allowed to play and conduct a risk analysis for each game to evaluate its potential to contribute to addiction.

Furthermore, all operators must monitor and register player behavior, reporting regularly to the authority on their policies and any measures implemented or updated.

Before a player is permitted to gamble, a crucial check is performed to ensure they are not listed in the central exclusion register, known as Cruks. Players can voluntarily add themselves to this register for a minimum period of six months, during which time they will be prohibited from gambling at arcades, online gambling sites, or any Dutch-licensed casino.

There are two ways for a player to exclude themselves:

Online, via DigiD: This method applies the exclusion immediately.
Via a paper form: The form must be printed, filled out, and posted, after which the exclusion will become active a few days later.

Once the exclusion is enacted, it cannot be canceled for at least six months, and it will automatically be lifted once the chosen period expires.

Additionally, the KSA provides links to the Open Over Gokken website, which offers free guidance and support for individuals struggling with gambling issues.