Dutch Regulator Proposes Automatic Gambling Bans for Vulnerable Groups

The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling authority, is advancing a groundbreaking proposal: individuals under guardianship or financial administration, due to their financial situation or other reasons, should be automatically excluded from legal gambling. This step is intended to provide better protection against gambling risks for particularly vulnerable groups listed in the Centraal Curatele en Bewindregister (CCBR). The KSA chairman, Michel Groothuizen, sees this as a necessary measure in an era where gambling is becoming increasingly accessible, even through smartphones.

Groothuizen clearly stated his position in a KSA column on July 2. He wants to create a direct link between the national self-exclusion register Cruks and the CCBR. This proposed automatic registration would remain in place as long as the person is subject to the respective protective measures. This would affect approximately 250,000 people under financial administration and another 25,000 under guardianship. Groothuizen stresses that these groups are particularly susceptible to gambling harm, as the risk of addiction is combined with the potential for high financial expenditure.

Numbers and facts

The average monthly loss from legal online gambling in the Netherlands is about 125 euros. A sum that can quickly become an existential threat for financially vulnerable individuals. Currently, around 120,000 people are voluntarily registered in the Cruks system. They can exclude themselves from gambling for at least six months. Groothuizen also supports the consideration of extending this minimum exclusion period to one year or even longer. He argues that automatic registration represents a stronger and more reliable protective measure than waiting for individuals to take their own initiative.

“I would, now that the parliamentary debate on gambling has been postponed until after the summer, like to make a proposal to the state secretary: use the recess period to, alongside the extension of the minimum registration period in Cruks, also draw up a simple proposal to automatically include everyone registered in the CCBR in Cruks for the duration that they are under protection or guardianship. We have recently noticed a demand for this from administrators and guardians. By linking the CCBR directly and integrally to Cruks we offer optimal protection to an extremely vulnerable group. This already happens in our neighboring countries Belgium and Germany.” - Michel Groothuizen, Chair of the Kansspelautoriteit

Indeed, Groothuizen points out that Germany and Belgium have already established comparable protective mechanisms. In Germany, LUGAS, the nationwide self-exclusion system, is a central pillar of player protection, enforced by the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL).

Background

The discussion about player protection in the Netherlands is not an isolated incident. In general, the topic is gaining increasing attention in many European countries. Illegal gambling remains a challenge. The KSA is striving to make legal markets safer while combating unlicensed providers. Michel Groothuizen had already proposed establishing a kind of “Gambling Interpol” at the IAGR 2025 Conference in Toronto in October 2025. This international network is intended to exchange information about illegal gambling providers and coordinate global enforcement actions. He compared the problem to a Hydra, where cutting off one head causes two new ones to grow.

Furthermore, there are also concerns regarding gambling advertising. A study by the City University of Hong Kong and the University of Bristol from May 2026 revealed that about 11.2 percent of analyzed gambling ads on Meta platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, violated age restrictions in the Netherlands. In particular, land-based licensees showed a higher rate of non-compliance than online gambling operators. Holland Casino, a state-controlled operator, was mentioned as having included under-24s as target audiences in campaigns. Such findings underscore the need for robust protective measures and stricter controls.

Why it matters for German players

For German players, developments in the Netherlands are quite relevant, even though the German State Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021) already sets high standards. The GGL, as the competent supervisory authority, monitors the legal German online gambling market. Players in Germany benefit from comprehensive protective measures, including a 1 euro per spin betting limit for slot machines and a monthly deposit limit of 1,000 euros, which is monitored via the LUGAS system.

LUGAS, the cross-state gambling supervision system, performs a similar function to the Cruks register. It prevents players from playing with several providers simultaneously or circumventing monthly deposit limits. The GGL continuously works to improve player protection and strictly control the so-called whitelist casinos, meaning the legally licensed providers. Measures such as the automatic bans for financial vulnerability discussed in the Netherlands show a tendency towards even stricter regulations. Thus, similar arguments for similar protective mechanisms could also arise in Germany and influence the development of the GlüStV from 2021. The focus on protecting particularly vulnerable groups is a common goal of international regulatory authorities. German online casinos holding a GGL license must already adhere to very strict rules, including measures for gambling addiction prevention.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

For GGL-licensed casinos in Germany, such discussions in neighboring countries mean continuous adaptation and readiness to implement new player protection measures. While the GlüStV 2021 is comprehensive, international developments indicate that further restrictions are possible, especially for financially vulnerable groups. Should the Dutch proposal gain traction and automatic exclusion for people under guardianship or financial administration become the norm, this could also increase pressure on German legislation.

GGL-licensed casinos must already ensure that their systems are compatible with LUGAS and that data on deposit limits and player behavior are transmitted correctly. A further step towards automatic exclusion systems would further tighten requirements for data integration and data protection. It is essential for GGL-licensed casinos to proactively monitor possible regulatory changes and adapt their internal processes accordingly to meet the high demands of player protection in the future and ensure the integrity of the German market.