A Netherlands KOA licence is the Kansspelautoriteit permission required to offer approved remote gambling products to Dutch consumers. Verification should match the licensed legal entity, website and product scope in the regulator's current games-of-chance guide, with Cruks and technical controls treated as linked requirements.
This guide is for operators, suppliers, analysts, journalists and consumers checking Dutch market access. It covers B2C remote gambling, product categories, Cruks and public verification. It does not assess one operator, replace licence conditions, or treat a supplier relationship as a Dutch consumer-facing permission.
What a KOA licence is
KOA is commonly used for the Dutch remote-gambling framework introduced by the Remote Gambling Act. The Kansspelautoriteit, or KSA, grants B2C permissions for approved online games of chance and supervises licensees serving the Netherlands.
The regulator's remote gambling application information describes the evidence and process for a new licence holder. Its remote gambling licence questions and answers add current procedural context. The permission belongs to a legal entity and has defined activities and conditions. It is not simply a seal attached to a global brand.
The public record must connect the company to the website and products observed. A parent company, supplier certificate or licence in Malta or Great Britain does not replace that Dutch link.
Products and roles compared
| Role | What it means | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Casino games against the operator | Approved online casino products where the operator is the counterparty. | Legal entity, website, licence status and permitted product category. |
| Player-to-player casino or poker | Approved games where participants play against one another under the licensed service. | Product mechanics, platform role and exact licence scope. |
| Sports or horse-race betting | Approved remote betting activities within the Dutch framework. | Betting category, domain, terms and current operator record. |
| B2B supplier | Technology, games, payments or services provided to a licensed operator. | Supplier role and contract, without presenting it as the B2C KOA licence. |
The BETTIMES Netherlands market profile uses this product-level map. The KOA licence profile links the official application and verification material.
How to verify an operator and website
Start with the Kansspelautoriteit's public games-of-chance information rather than a footer logo. The offering online games of chance hub links the current regulatory route and provider information.
- Record the exact hostname and product under review.
- Open the Dutch customer terms and identify the contracting legal entity.
- Find the operator and site in the KSA's current games-of-chance guide.
- Match the entity, brand and domain rather than relying on one field.
- Confirm the product category where the public record supplies it.
- Review current status and relevant enforcement information.
- Save the official URL and verification date.
If the legal company and domain do not align, mark the claim unresolved. The operator may have migrated brands or entities, but that explanation needs a regulator record or other current evidence.
What Cruks does
Cruks is the Dutch Central Register of Exclusion from Gambling. Licensed providers must check whether a person is excluded before allowing access to covered gambling services. The register is a player-protection control that operates across participating providers.
Cruks is not the KOA licence. A technical claim that a website can query Cruks does not prove that the company holds a current remote-gambling permission. Conversely, a licensed operator still needs to implement the access and exclusion process correctly.
For public research, distinguish the regulatory requirement from operating effectiveness. The first can be established through KSA rules. The second may require supervisory findings, testing or case evidence that is not visible from the website.
What the control database does
Dutch remote licensees use a control database, often abbreviated CDB, to provide prescribed data for supervision. It is part of the technical and reporting architecture and has implementation requirements around data, security and access.
Like Cruks, the CDB is not a consumer-facing licence. Treat it as one control in the licensed system. A supplier can build or host parts of the technology, but the licensed operator remains the entity whose duties and reporting relationship need to be resolved.
The BETTIMES guide to what an iGaming platform is shows where reporting and account components can sit. The remote gaming server guide covers the separate game-processing layer.
Product scope matters
A KOA permission can cover approved categories of casino, poker or betting activity. A licence statement should not imply that every Dutch remote licensee offers all categories or that a product approved elsewhere is automatically included.
The user interface can also differ by market. A global operator may suppress products, features or payment methods in the Netherlands. Screenshots from another country do not establish the Dutch offer.
The reliable record names the product actually observed and ties it to the Dutch entity and domain. Broad labels such as casino and sportsbook can support navigation, but the regulatory category remains more precise.
Advertising and duty of care
Dutch remote-gambling operators face advertising and player-protection controls that have evolved since market opening. An article should cite the rule in force on the observation date rather than assuming launch-era requirements remain unchanged.
Duty-of-care controls can involve risk detection, intervention, limits and records. A public responsible-gambling page is useful evidence of stated policy, but it is not proof that internal monitoring and interventions operate effectively for every account.
The BETTIMES transaction monitoring guide explains evidence flows without conflating AML and safer-gambling decisions. Dutch implementation should be checked against current KSA standards and decisions.
Gambling tax from 2026
The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration states that the gambling tax rate is 37.8% from 1 January 2026. The percentage alone is not a full market model because the taxable party and base depend on the relevant gambling situation.
Researchers should name the effective date and tax base when comparing the Netherlands with other markets. A 37.8% figure applied to one defined base is not directly comparable with a percentage of stakes, turnover or a different GGR definition.
Licence fees, compliance cost, corporate tax, payment expenses and supplier revenue share are separate. A commercial analysis should show each layer rather than turning the tax rate into the operator's entire cost structure.
Enforcement and current status
KSA can investigate licensed and unlicensed conduct and publish decisions. A fine, binding instruction, warning, suspension or licence outcome should be described using the authority's own procedural language. An investigation is not automatically a final finding.
Current status belongs in the operator record with a check date. Old terms, affiliate pages and cached search results can survive after an operator exits or changes its domain. A licence number should not be copied without confirming the live entry.
The BETTIMES regulatory enforcement tracker provides a dated research layer. It links back to the regulator decision and does not replace the current operator guide.
Supplier and operator roles
A KOA licensee can use external game studios, platforms, identity vendors, payment providers and testing laboratories. Those companies may hold approvals in other jurisdictions or satisfy contractual checks, but they do not become the Dutch B2C licensee by supplying a component.
The consumer terms should identify the operator responsible for the account. Supplier names can then be connected through game information, platform records or company disclosures with appropriate evidence.
The BETTIMES guides to casino game providers and gambling operators prevent the common mistake of transferring a supplier credential to the brand.
Common verification mistakes
- Treating a footer logo as stronger evidence than the KSA public guide.
- Matching the international brand but not the Dutch legal entity and hostname.
- Presenting Cruks or CDB connectivity as a separate licence.
- Assuming one product category covers every game and betting service.
- Using a B2B supplier approval as the consumer-facing KOA permission.
- Quoting 37.8% without its 1 January 2026 effective date or tax base.
- Treating an announced investigation as a final enforcement outcome.
A reusable Dutch evidence record
Record the legal entity, brand, exact website, product categories, licence status, regulator URL and verification date. Keep Cruks and CDB as separate implementation fields. Add supplier relationships only when a source supports them.
For taxes and rule changes, record the official publication, effective date, base and scope. For enforcement, preserve the decision date, procedure and source wording.
The BETTIMES operator licence tracker can be used as a starting dataset, while KSA remains the authoritative source for current Dutch status.
Frequently asked questions
Is a KOA licence an online casino licence?
It is the Dutch B2C permission for approved remote gambling activities, which can include specified online casino, poker and betting categories. The exact scope belongs to the operator record. Do not assume that every holder offers all products or that the word casino describes every licensed category.
Does Cruks prove that a website is licensed?
No. Cruks is the central exclusion register used within the regulated system. A current licence should be verified through KSA's public operator and games-of-chance information. Cruks connection is an important operating requirement, but it should not replace the entity, domain, product and status check.
Can an MGA or UK licence cover the Netherlands?
No. A Malta or Great Britain permission does not replace the Dutch KOA route. An international group may hold several market-specific licences through different legal entities. The Dutch conclusion depends on the company, brand, product and website recorded by the Kansspelautoriteit.
What is the Dutch gambling tax rate in 2026?
The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration publishes a 37.8% rate from 1 January 2026. A useful comparison must also state who is taxed and the relevant tax base. The percentage should not be presented as a complete measure of regulatory cost or compared with unlike bases.
How often should a KOA licence be checked?
Check immediately before publication and after any domain migration, ownership change, enforcement announcement, suspension or market exit. Save the official source and date. An operator that was licensed at an earlier point may have changed its sites, products or status by the time the claim is read.
The reliable conclusion
A Dutch KOA licence is a current, entity-specific B2C permission for approved remote-gambling products. Verify the operator and exact website in KSA sources, keep Cruks and the control database as related controls, distinguish suppliers from the licensee, and date every tax and status claim.