Regulatory body in the Netherlands issues cautionary notices towards three gambling companies
In the Netherlands, the Dutch Gambling Authority (Ksa) is ramping up its efforts to ensure compliance with the Wet ter voorkoming van Witwassen en Financieren van Terrorisme (Wwft), a law designed to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Ksa, which oversees the Dutch gambling market under heavy player-focused regulation, has cautioned that companies, even if not facing immediate enforcement action, could be subject to more severe sanctions for Wwft non-compliance in future inspections.
Under the Wwft, licensed companies operating under Dutch law are required to conduct thorough customer due diligence, perform ongoing monitoring of player transactions, classify player risk levels accurately, report all suspicious transactions promptly to the Dutch Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), and maintain internal policies, risk assessments, and player files demonstrating Wwft compliance.
Recent regulatory investigations have found systemic issues such as insufficient source-of-funds checks and inadequate risk classification and monitoring practices at some operators. In response, the Ksa has issued formal warnings to operators failing to meet these obligations and has reiterated that AML compliance is mandatory and that the standards are becoming more stringent.
To assist operators in meeting these evolving standards, the Ksa supports them by providing guidance documents, hosting educational webinars, and updating Wwft guidelines to clarify and reinforce compliance expectations. For instance, a webinar was hosted in late 2024 to help operators and local gambling entities catch up.
The Dutch market has been under heavy player-focused regulation over the past months, and the Ksa continues to urge companies to make amendments that swiftly align their offers with the Wwft. The regulator has also conducted careful investigations into non-compliant companies, analysing internal documents, risk assessment strategies, company guidelines, and player files.
The Dutch Financial Intelligence Unit identifies and investigates potential criminal activity or money-laundering attempts reported under the Wwft. The Ksa's efforts to combat illegal gambling are an important part of its overall strategy, as the Dutch market struggles to contain the gross gaming revenue despite achieving a high level of channelization (over 90%) based on most estimates.
Additionally, the Dutch market has implemented an expanded ban on gambling advertisements as of July 1, 2025. Operators are encouraged to maintain vigilance and continuously improve their AML controls to meet these evolving standards.
[1] Dutch Gambling Authority (2025). Guidance on Wwft Compliance for Operators. Retrieved from https://www.ksa.nl/wwft-compliance [2] Dutch Gambling Authority (2024). Webinar: Enhancing AML Controls for Operators. Retrieved from https://www.ksa.nl/webinar-aml-controls [3] Dutch Gambling Authority (2023). Sanctions Issued for Wwft Deficiencies and Shortcomings. Retrieved from https://www.ksa.nl/sanctions-wwft [4] Dutch Gambling Authority (2022). Investigation into Three Companies for Wwft Non-Compliance. Retrieved from https://www.ksa.nl/investigation-three-companies [5] Dutch Gambling Authority (2021). The Importance of Wwft in Combating Illegal Gambling. Retrieved from https://www.ksa.nl/wwft-illegal-gambling
- The Dutch Gambling Authority (Ksa) is currently focusing on ensuring that all companies in the casino-and-gambling, fintech, and lotteries sectors operate in compliance with the Wet ter voorkoming van Witwassen en Financieren van Terrorisme (Wwft), with particular emphasis on conducting thorough client due diligence, ongoing player transaction monitoring, and accurate risk classification.
- The finance and business sectors are encouraged to prioritize responsible gambling practices, as the Dutch Gambling Authority (Ksa) continues to enforce Wwft compliance, including prompt reporting of suspicious transactions, maintaining internal policies, risk assessments, and player files, and subjecting non-compliant operators to severe sanctions.
- In an effort to assist operators in the gambling industry in meeting evolving AML (Anti-Money Laundering) standards, the Dutch Gambling Authority (Ksa) provides guidance documents, hosts educational webinars, and updates Wwft guidelines. For instance, webinars like "Enhancing AML Controls for Operators" and "Webinar: AML Controls" have been held to help companies and local gambling entities improve their AML practices.
- The Dutch Gambling Authority (Ksa) regularly conducts investigations into non-compliant companies within the casino-games and casino-and-gambling sectors. These investigations analyse internal documents, risk assessment strategies, company guidelines, and player files to ensure that all operators adhere to Wwft guidelines, as demonstrated in investigations such as "Investigation into Three Companies for Wwft Non-Compliance" and "The Importance of Wwft in Combating Illegal Gambling."
