Overview of Dutch online gambling.

Online casino gambling is one of the biggest new frontiers out there, growing all the time as people make the leap from traditional bricks and mortar casinos. Various factors, from the added convenience of online casinos to the types of games available, have accelerated this boom. Players looking for comic book themed slots will certainly find it easier to search online sites than try various casinos.

Players in the Netherlands have seen the same kind of increase in activity, with online casinos becoming ever more popular. Despite this country having some very lax laws concerning things like drug use, they actually have very strict laws against online gambling. Nevertheless, new players are joining sites all the time and it shows no sign of stopping, with very few people seeing prosecution. New technology and attractive games have captured the minds of Dutch players and sites have emerged to cater to their language and currency needs.

What is the legality of gambling in the Netherlands?

Netherlanders are heavily restricted when it comes to online gambling. Curiously they are allowed to play sites which are based in the Netherlands, yet there are no such sites because the government does not want to issue licenses. There are land casinos in this country but they are operated by a monopoly called Holland Casino. Even this company has struggled to obtain licencing for online counterparts. This state of affairs was expected to change in 2017 thanks to the ‘Remote Gaming Bill’, but this has hit various legal difficulties and been repeatedly delayed.

Despite this law, online gambling is still huge in the Netherlands and it seems the government is far more interested in prosecuting casinos than individual players. The general consensus seems to be that players can safely use international casino sites, but of course you should always check the law yourself and gamble at your own risk. This activity is very difficult to police and seems to be no problem for players at the moment, plus sites actively open to cater to Netherlanders.

What else affects online gambling in the Netherlands?

The restriction on gambling has a knock-on effect in other areas. One such area is advertising, as online casinos cannot directly appeal to Dutch players. This makes it hard for them to find new sites and for sites to attract new players, though on the plus side, this can lead to sites offering bigger welcome bonuses!

Another such area is taxation. Unfortunately, players from the Netherlands are subject to heavy taxation on their winnings, most likely in a bid to reduce gambling online with foreign sites. You are able to win up to €454 without paying this tax, but any amount over that is subject to a mighty 29%, almost a third. In practise, players don’t tend to let this stop them, as it won’t affect day to day small wins. Looking at the bright side, the world-famous café culture in the Netherlands should appeal to those who play mobile casinos. Most online casinos now have apps or mobile versions which you can play at your leisure, out of the house.

What should I look for in a Dutch online casino?

Players in the Netherlands will be forced to look for casinos outside of the country, as previously stated. This could be other European jurisdictions or as far as America. In practise, many online casinos are licensed in small countries like Malta. While the place is not that important, it is wise to only play on casinos which have clear licensing information. Better still, look for casinos with the seal of approval from eCOGRA or other fairness bodies, or who use independent organisations for dispute resolution.

The next thing to look for is undoubtedly things that appeal specifically to Netherlanders. Many sites can offer you Dutch language options which will make life much easier. Thanks to the Netherlands joining the Euro, finding a casino with the right currency should not be too difficult. Most sites can offer a full set of payment methods like credit and debit cards, or e-wallets which are useful if you want to keep your card information limited. Dutch players can even find sites which accept iDeal payments, handled through VeriSign SSL protection