Dutch MPs back faster action on illegal gambling sites as government opens talks with Meta and Google

The Dutch House of Representatives used a three-hour gambling committee debate to line up around one point: enforcement against the black market needs to get faster and tougher. For PSPs, affiliates, social platforms and anyone touching gambling traffic, that means the pressure is moving from rhetoric to blocking, advertising controls and payment-side enforcement.

1. Ten committee members from across the political spectrum discussed the illegal market, advertising and the legal age limit of 18, alongside research papers, sector activity reports and Justice State Secretary KT van Bruggen’s April 2026-dated letter. That letter assessed gambling risks and acknowledged the KSA’s estimate that channelisation had dropped below 50%.
2. On the illegal market, the political split was narrow. The majority of parties, including those representing the ChristenUnie, PRO and SGP, called for stronger enforcement against black market operators, and MPs pushed for powers to block illegal websites more quickly, in a way similar to the tools used against terrorist and child pornography sites.
3. Members also wanted stronger powers for Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling regulator, with tougher action against payment providers, social media sites and affiliates that facilitate illegal gambling. Van Bruggen said the cabinet is developing legislation to introduce DNS blocking for illegal sites, with a consultation due for early 2027.
4. Advertising on social media was another focus. Dutch operators have already tried to tackle the issue through legal action against Meta, and Van Bruggen said: “Meta, especially as one of the parties, but also Google, is really open to this conversation.” She added that the government will receive a report every six months on illegal gambling advertising across these platforms and said the issue should also be handled at EU level through the Digital Services Act.
5. The committee also revisited the legal gambling age. Some politicians argued for raising it to 21 from 18, and a 2025 bill had already proposed a higher age for “higher-risk” activities like online slots. Van Bruggen said more time is needed to judge whether an age increase to 21 would instead push young people toward unlicensed offerings.