The Dutch iGaming market has experienced significant growth since the legalisation of online gambling in 2021. But now the Netherlands' regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has introduced a new set of affordability checks - with other European countries expected to follow suit. While there will be hurdles for merchants, quick adoption of sleek financial checks can actually create a competitive advantage. 

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What’s changing?

From October 2024, licensed iGaming operators in the Netherlands must implement stricter financial checks on players. Players over the age of 24 who deposit more than €700 will trigger financial checks. For players 18-24, the amount is limited to €300. If the player doesn’t meet the income verification requirements, operators must block their deposits for the rest of the calendar month.

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Additionally, operators must engage in real-time monitoring of gambling behaviour. This includes flagging high-risk behaviour like gambling for over six hours in one session, making multiple deposits in a short period of time and gambling during late hours. Merchants are required to intervene within an hour of identifying these.
Failure to comply will result in significant fines and potential suspension from operating in the Netherlands. 

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The challenges: 

Adhering to stricter compliance regulations is resource-intensive, creating increased burden on compliance, payments and customer service teams. Operators will be expected to track failed deposits, verify income and assess whether gambling deposits exceed 30% of a player's net monthly income. 

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This monitoring must be active 24 hours a day and balancing these multiple indicators creates further complexity and workload.

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Turning compliance into opportunity

While the Netherlands is at the forefront of responsible gambling regulations, other countries are set to follow. Merchants must adopt new technology to decrease their workload and backlogs, while maintaining a seamless user experience. 

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For growth-driven multi-market operators, rapid adoption of automated compliance solutions means they’ll be well-prepared for regulation rollouts in other markets, and already hold the knowledge on how to significantly protect their bottom line.

First-movers will also protect their brand reputation and distinguish themselves from competitors who are slower to adopt best practices, building trust and loyalty with players.

By digitising AML and KYC processes with solutions like Semla, businesses can mitigate increased operational demands, while delivering a secure and compelling player experience.