Dutch State Secretary Signals Gambling Ad Ban Amid Cruks Loophole Concerns

The announcement came in response to parliamentary questions raised after reports that Holland Casino had sent promotional emails to individuals listed in the country’s self-exclusion register, Cruks.

The issue drew political attention in early April, when Mirjam Bikker and Pieter Grinwis of the ChristenUnie formally questioned how such outreach was possible, particularly from a state-owned operator. Their concerns centered on the protection of vulnerable individuals who had actively chosen to exclude themselves from gambling environments.

Van Bruggen acknowledged that operators should not target individuals registered in Cruks, but explained that current legislation has a significant gap. At present, checks against the self-exclusion database are only required at the point where a player attempts to access gambling services. There is no legal mechanism preventing operators from sending marketing communications to those same individuals, creating a loophole that undermines the system’s intent.

To address this, the State Secretary confirmed that regulatory changes are being prepared in line with the coalition government’s agreement. These reforms are expected to tighten restrictions on gambling advertising and improve how Cruks functions in practice. One of the key goals is to ensure that individuals who have opted out of gambling are fully shielded not only from access, but also from promotional exposure.

Pressure for stricter rules has been building across the Netherlands. Public health organisations and political parties alike have called for tougher safeguards, with some advocating a complete ban on gambling advertising. Earlier this month, both the Dutch Mental Health Care Association and Addiction Studies Netherlands publicly supported such a measure.

These calls were amplified by findings from the investigative TV programme Zembla, which revealed that young adults are still being exposed to gambling promotions through online streamers, despite existing restrictions designed to limit such influence.

In parallel, additional political initiatives have emerged. In March, the Socialist Party (Netherlands) and ChristenUnie proposed a package of tougher measures, including higher fines for operators, stricter rules around licence suspensions, longer self-exclusion periods, and a broader advertising ban. Together, these developments signal a clear shift toward a more restrictive and protective gambling policy framework in the Netherlands.