The government (or relevant authority) introduced deposit limits in 2024. A study on illegal gambling domains in the Netherlands reported a significant increase in traffic to illegal sites.
The online analysis published on March 10, by the Dutch-based Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates or KVA scheme noted that traffic to domains found by searching for casino without limits or casino without Cruks, the Dutch self-exclusion system, has steadily increased since deposit limits came into effect in October.
Traffic to illegal domains stood at 172,576 in October. Meanwhile in November, that rose to 294,255. It had reached 412,997 in February. This month, measured on March 5, it passed the one million mark.
KVA’s research found that the number of illegal gambling domains appearing in top search results has risen. In October, there were 19 such domains, increasing to 72 by March.
XY Legal Solutions, a Netherlands-based legal firm, established the KVA advisory board to ensure affiliate sites comply with Dutch regulations.
The QMRA (Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates) developed the firm’s compliance framework. It is a body that also analyzes compliance among affiliates. Both bodies study monthly traffic to illegal sites using the Semrush, a SEO analytics tool.
The KVA has urged a strategic approach to regulating illegal online gambling due to the rising traffic to unlicensed websites.
The KVA warned that stricter restrictions on legal advertising could backfire, pushing players to illegal platforms even faster.
The KSA or Dutch regulator Kansspelautoriteit introduced a number of protection measures that came into force past October.
The rules include deposit thresholds based on a player’s net deposits within a calendar month.
If net deposits exceed €700, £583, or $777 in a month, the system will block any further deposits for the rest of that period. Players can increase their deposit limit by giving appropriate proof of income to operators.
