SIDN finds new illegal gambling sites under .nl every day
Investigation points to hundreds of domains directing players to foreign operators without a Dutch licence.
New domains linked to illegal online gambling appear under .nl every day. SIDN found 112 active gambling sites without a licence, alongside hundreds of registrations that may be activated later.
The Stichting Internet Domeinregistratie Nederland investigated domains containing terms such as casino, gambling and bet. On 112 .nl domains, visitors could actually gamble for money without a licence from the Kansspelautoriteit.
SIDN also found 312 registrations without an active website that were clearly linked to online gambling. On some days, dozens of new domains were added. SIDN says registration patterns indicate that some will be used later.
The investigation also found 121 websites misusing the brand names or logos of legal operators. These included copies of well-known gambling sites, sometimes with registration and login functions. As a result, a player may think they have reached a licensed operator.
A further 70 domains mainly appeared to function as referral pages. Anyone wanting to start a game or open an account on such a site is redirected to a foreign operator. Affiliate companies or marketing agencies may be paid for such referrals.
The Kansspelautoriteit warns that players on illegal sites do not have Dutch consumer protection. The regulator therefore focuses not only on operators, but also on affiliates, influencers, payment service providers, internet providers and platforms that facilitate the offering.
SIDN says the market is constantly changing: domains quickly disappear and new addresses take their place. According to the organisation, closer cooperation between SIDN, the Kansspelautoriteit, hosting companies and legal operators is needed to intervene more quickly.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- SIDN found active and suspected future illegal gambling domains under .nl.
- The Kansspelautoriteit works with, among others, SIDN, banks, platforms and hosting providers.
- Illegal operators fall outside the Dutch licensing system.
Left
Arguments The government should provide stronger protection for vulnerable players and place further limits on the commercial gambling market. Enforcement should also target platforms, advertising and payment flows.
Values Public health, livelihood security and protection against exploitation.
Consequences More supervision and stricter advertising and payment rules could reduce illegal offerings, but would increase the implementation burden on companies.
Centre
Arguments The existing licences can remain in place, but regulators should share data more quickly and have domains blocked when there are clear indications of wrongdoing.
Values Proportionality, legal certainty and effective enforcement.
Consequences Targeted cooperation can limit risks without burdening all legal operators with blanket bans.
Right
Arguments The focus should be on enforcement against operators and fraudsters, not on ever more rules for legal companies or adult players.
Values Individual responsibility, freedom of enterprise and a limited government.
Consequences A tough approach to illegal networks can reduce market disruption, but it does require cross-border cooperation.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key figures and description of the methodology can be found directly in the SIDN investigation. The explanation of supervision and consumer protection is consistent with the Kansspelautoriteit.
- confirmed SIDN found 112 active .nl domains offering illegal gambling. — Mentioned in SIDN’s research findings. source
- confirmed SIDN found 312 registrations linked to online gambling. — The figure appears in the methodology and findings of the investigation. source
- confirmed There were 121 websites misusing the brand names or logos of legal operators. — SIDN describes this category separately. source
- confirmed Players on illegal sites do not have Dutch consumer protection. — The Kansspelautoriteit states this explicitly. source
Editor's note
The figures come from the SIDN investigation. Not every suspicious registration leads to an active gambling site, and the precise operators behind the domains have not been established.Sources
- Dagelijks nieuwe illegale goksites onder .nl — SIDN
- Aanpak illegale online gokspelen — Kansspelautoriteit
- Sanctiebesluiten — Kansspelautoriteit
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „illegaal gokken”
- NU.nl — „illegaal gokken”
- De Telegraaf — „illegaal gokken”