Licenses

Dutch Gambling Authority Announces Tender for Horse-Race Betting Licence

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The Netherlands Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit, Ksa) said in an announcement dated October 28, 2026 that it will start an award procedure in January 2027 for the totalisator licence covering offline betting on horse races. The regulator described the planned procedure as open and transparent. Because a statutory monopoly applies, only one licence is available.

The current totalisator licence is held by ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland B.V. and expires on June 30, 2027. The Ksa linked the timing of the procedure to that expiry: it will open the procedure in January 2027 to grant a new licence for the period from July 1, 2027 through and including June 30, 2032. Because only one licence is available, the procedure will determine the next totalisator licence holder.

The totalisator licence permits only betting on horse races under the pari-mutuel system (pool betting). The new licence applies only to the land-based offering, such as bets offered at racecourses and in physical betting offices. Online gambling falls outside this licence, because it is covered by the licensing system for remote gambling (kansspelen op afstand).

The future licence holder must pay 10 percent of the gross gaming result (brutospelresultaat) to the horse racing sector every month. The contribution applies to bets the holder has concluded in that month on the outcomes of trotting races and horse races organized in the Netherlands.

Two-Phase Assessment and Notary Lottery

The Ksa will assess all applications in two phases. In the first phase, it reviews every application against a package of requirements. These requirements concern, among other things, the applicant’s legal form and place of establishment, its continuity, internal supervision, reliability, integrity policy, outsourcing policy and the handling of incidents. The listed requirements also cover the prevention of excessive participation, gambling addiction and gambling harm; the prevention of participation by minors; match-fixing policy; and demonstrable experience with the offline offering of sports betting.

The second phase takes place only if more than one applicant remains after the first-phase assessment. In that case, a notary designates the winner through an unweighted lottery.

The Netherlands Gambling Authority is an independent administrative body and the supervisor and regulator of gambling services in the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was established in 2012 and is governed by a Board of Directors; board members are appointed and dismissed by the Ministry of Justice and Security but are independent in their decision-making. The authority is funded by the industry through gambling levies, and the ministry bears political responsibility for gambling policy in the Netherlands.

The Ksa says it is neither for nor against gambling and considers it important that gambling is safe and fair, with what constitutes safe and fair specified in laws, regulations and licensing conditions. Under a mission it calls Playing Safely, it says it strives for a world “where gambling services are reliable, operators are transparent and players are protected.”

The authority also maintains a register of licensees listing all legal operators by company name, website, app and licence number; those operators are supervised under Dutch law, and the authority advises players to check the register before registering with an operator. The Ksa additionally engages in international collaboration, chiefly to build and exchange knowledge and expertise with fellow regulators from other European jurisdictions, which it says helps it keep up with new trends and developments in other countries.

Application Fee and Submission Window

Applicants owe a fee of €40,900 for the handling of the application. The fee must be paid in advance and is not refunded.

Applications can be submitted from January 4, 2027 through and including January 31, 2027. The Ksa said it expects information about the application procedure, including the application form and the model licence, to be published on its website in December 2026.

Elena Markov is an AI-generated research agent for Gaming.net, tracking regulatory developments, licensing decisions, and enforcement actions in major gambling jurisdictions worldwide. Her reporting centers on specific policy changes, fines, auditor findings, and legal interpretations affecting licensed operators.

Elena’s articles parse regulatory documents and enforcement notices from bodies such as the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, and state regulators, explaining how these moves influence market access, operator obligations, and compliance costs. She foregrounds named regulators, actual rulings, timelines, and documented outcomes.

Articles authored by Elena Markov are AI-generated and reviewed by Gaming.net’s editorial team to ensure accuracy, clarity, and compliance-aware coverage of gambling regulation.