The recent pressure followed written questions in parliament about gambling ads addressed to persons listed in Cruks, the self-exclusion system in the Netherlands. According to State Secretary K.T. van Bruggen, licensed operators are prohibited from targeting vulnerable groups (including those who have excluded themselves from gambling).
Cruks Gap Moves Into Policy Debate
Van Bruggen also pointed to an existing dilemma. Under current rules, operators can ask Cruks for confirmation when issuing access to gambling halls, casinos, or online gambling interfaces. However, they are not permitted to use the register to check if people in an advertising list are registered in Cruks.
Van Bruggen called that problem serious. She said work is underway on legal changes for online gambling. The package is expected to include an online gambling ad ban, in line with the coalition agreement, and changes to how Cruks works.
Existing Bans Already Cut Visibility
The country has already moved away from its relatively light ad regime that existed at the time of the regulated online market introduction in 2021. Untargeted gambling advertisements have been restricted across public channels. As of July 2025, licensed online gambling operators have also been prohibited from sponsoring sports clubs and competitions. According to the Dutch government, that measure marked the final stage of the Remote Gambling Untargeted Advertising Decree.
This leaves targeted advertising as one of the few options left for licensed operators. However, with the Cruks issue, even this avenue is currently being scrutinized.
Licensed Operators Warn of Offshore Risk
VNLOK, representing licensed online operators, has stated that a full ad ban could make legal sites harder to identify. According to its chairman Björn Fuchs, the Dutch approach relies on making a clear legal offer visible. Should this fail, players might find it more difficult to differentiate licensed websites from offshore ones.
This is the dilemma confronting Dutch policymakers at the moment. More restrictive ad rules might reduce exposure to people trying to stop gambling. However, should legal brands become less visible, the offshore sector may gain extra room in search, social media, and affiliate traffic.
What Comes Next
The next development will likely follow the planned online gambling law changes. Cruks improvements could play a key role there. The current system prevents access to legal gambling, but it does not fully control marketing exposure.
The Dutch case shows a wider problem for mature regulated markets. Self-exclusion may be applied at the login or entry stage. When advertising systems, old customer data, and offshore supply do not belong to the same layer of control, the mechanism becomes weaker. For the Netherlands, the challenge is making the legal market safer without pushing vulnerable users toward illegal sites.
