KSA sets 2027 tender for Dutch horse racing betting licence applications

The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has confirmed that applications for the country's next exclusive land-based horse racing betting licence will open on 4 January 2027. The announcement marks the beginning of a new licensing procedure for an authorisation that will cover a five-year period and allow only one operator to provide the relevant betting services.

The upcoming licence will run from 1 July 2027 until 30 June 2032. It will replace the current authorisation held by ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland B.V., which is due to expire on 30 June 2027.

The KSA has confirmed that the award procedure will follow an open and transparent process. Since Dutch gambling legislation establishes a statutory monopoly for this particular form of betting, only one licence will be available during the forthcoming licensing period.

The decision will therefore be significant for operators interested in the Dutch horse racing market, particularly those with the necessary experience in land-based sports betting and the organisational capabilities required to meet the regulator's conditions.

According to the published timetable, the application window will remain open until 31 January 2027. This gives interested companies a limited period to prepare and submit their documentation in accordance with the KSA's requirements.

What the new totalisator licence covers

The forthcoming authorisation concerns totalisator betting, also known as pari-mutuel or pool betting. Under this system, wagers are collected into a shared pool and winnings are distributed among successful participants after the applicable deductions have been made.

The licence will cover betting on horse and trotting races through physical locations, including racecourses and land-based betting outlets. It is not a general authorisation for every form of sports wagering in the Netherlands.

An important distinction concerns online gambling. The new totalisator licence will apply exclusively to land-based activities. Online gambling, including online betting on horse racing, remains subject to the separate regulatory framework established under the Dutch Remote Gambling Act.

This separation means that the forthcoming award procedure will determine the operator authorised to provide the specified physical pool-betting services. It will not replace or determine the licensing arrangements for online gambling businesses.

The statutory restriction to a single operator also distinguishes the totalisator system from the broader Dutch online gambling market, where operators can apply for separate authorisations subject to the relevant regulatory conditions.

For prospective applicants, understanding this distinction will be important when determining whether their existing operations and business structure are suitable for the new licence.

Application requirements and processing fee

The KSA expects to publish the application documentation on its official website in December 2026. The material is expected to include the application form, the proposed licence model and information explaining the submission procedure.

Applications will be accepted between 4 January and 31 January 2027. Interested operators will also be required to pay a processing fee of €40,900.

The fee must be paid in advance and is non-refundable. Consequently, applicants will need to account for this expense when assessing whether to participate in the selection process.

The application requirements extend beyond the payment of the processing fee. The regulator will assess whether each applicant has the appropriate legal structure, operational arrangements and internal controls to operate within the Dutch regulatory framework.

The assessment will cover several areas, including the applicant's legal form and place of establishment, business continuity arrangements and internal supervision systems. The KSA will also examine the reliability of the applicant and its approach to maintaining appropriate standards of integrity.

Other areas of assessment will include outsourcing policies and procedures for handling incidents. These requirements are intended to establish whether an operator has suitable arrangements for managing its activities and addressing operational issues.

The regulator will also examine applicants' measures for preventing excessive gambling, gambling addiction and gambling-related harm. Measures designed to prevent minors from participating in gambling activities will form part of the assessment.

Integrity in sports betting is another important consideration. Applicants will need to demonstrate that they have an appropriate policy for preventing match-fixing and protecting the integrity of sporting competitions.

In addition, the KSA requires demonstrable experience in offering sports betting through land-based channels. This criterion makes previous operational experience an important element of the application rather than allowing businesses to rely solely on proposed future plans.

How the KSA will select the licence holder

The licensing procedure will consist of two stages. The first stage will involve a substantive assessment of all applications against the requirements established by the regulator.

Each submission will be evaluated according to the applicable legal, operational and public-interest criteria. Applicants must demonstrate that their business arrangements and internal policies satisfy the relevant conditions.

Only applications that successfully meet the initial requirements will be eligible to progress through the procedure.

A second stage will take place if more than one applicant passes the first assessment. In that situation, the successful licence holder will be selected through an unweighted lottery conducted under the supervision of a notary.

The use of an unweighted draw means that the selection will not be determined by assigning different probabilities to qualifying applicants through a comparative scoring process. Instead, the notarial procedure will establish which eligible applicant receives the single available authorisation.

This arrangement provides a defined method for resolving the selection when multiple businesses meet the regulatory requirements.

However, the lottery will not replace the initial compliance assessment. An applicant must first satisfy the KSA's requirements before becoming eligible for the second stage.

If only one applicant remains after the first assessment, the additional lottery stage will not be necessary.

Financial contribution to the Dutch horse racing sector

The new authorisation will also include a financial obligation intended to support the country's horse racing industry.

The successful licence holder will be required to transfer 10% of its monthly gross gaming revenue to the Dutch horse racing sector. This contribution will apply to betting activity during the relevant month on the outcomes of horse and trotting races organised in the Netherlands.

The obligation forms part of the conditions attached to the totalisator licence. It establishes a direct financial contribution from the licensed betting operation to the sporting sector associated with the permitted activities.

For the operator, this requirement will need to be reflected in its financial planning and ongoing reporting arrangements. Applicants should therefore consider the contribution when preparing their business models and estimating the financial implications of operating under the new authorisation.

The contribution is also an important element of the relationship between regulated betting and the wider racing industry. The Dutch trotting and racing sector, represented by organisations including the Stichting Nederlandse Draf- en Rensport, provides the sporting environment in which these activities take place.

ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland faces a new licensing process

ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland B.V. currently holds the Netherlands' totalisator licence. The company received its existing authorisation through the previous licensing procedure in 2022, with the permit covering the period from 1 July 2022 until 30 June 2027.

The company operates under the public-facing brands ZEbet and ZEturf. Its existing authorisation will expire at the end of June 2027, making the upcoming procedure necessary to establish the holder of the next five-year licence.

The new process will allow eligible operators to submit applications under the same published framework. The current licence holder's participation in the previous licensing period does not automatically guarantee an award for the next term.

ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland will therefore need to satisfy the applicable requirements if it chooses to seek the new authorisation.

The KSA's announcement does not identify prospective applicants or indicate which operator will ultimately receive the licence. The result will depend on the applications submitted and the selection procedure established by the regulator.

Conclusion

The KSA's decision to open the next totalisator licensing procedure in January 2027 represents an important regulatory development for the Dutch horse racing betting sector. By confirming the application timetable and outlining the requirements, the regulator has established the framework for determining which operator will hold the exclusive land-based authorisation from July 2027 until June 2032.

The procedure places considerable emphasis on operational reliability, corporate governance, responsible gambling measures and sporting integrity. These requirements demonstrate that eligibility will depend on more than an applicant's ability to operate a betting service. Businesses must also show that they can meet the regulatory responsibilities attached to the licence.

The €40,900 non-refundable application fee and the mandatory contribution of 10% of monthly gross gaming revenue further underline the financial commitments associated with the authorisation.

For ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland, the process provides an opportunity to seek another licensing period while allowing other qualifying businesses to enter the selection procedure.

The December 2026 publication of the application documents will provide prospective applicants with further details ahead of the January submission window. Until then, the central elements of the process are already clear: one available licence, a defined five-year term and a selection system based first on regulatory compliance and, where necessary, an independently supervised lottery.

Ultimately, the outcome will determine which operator is authorised to provide land-based totalisator betting in the Netherlands for the next five years. It will also establish the regulatory and financial framework under which this part of the country's horse racing market will operate through to June 2032.

FAQs

When will applications for the new Dutch horse racing betting licence open?
The KSA will accept applications from 4 January 2027. The application period will close on 31 January 2027.

How long will the new totalisator licence remain valid?
The new licence will cover five years, beginning on 1 July 2027 and ending on 30 June 2032.

Who currently holds the Dutch totalisator licence?
ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland B.V. holds the existing authorisation, which expires on 30 June 2027.

How much will applicants have to pay?
Each applicant must pay a non-refundable processing fee of €40,900 in advance.

How many totalisator licences will the KSA award?
Only one licence will be available because Dutch legislation establishes a statutory monopoly for this form of land-based pool betting.

Will the new licence cover online horse racing betting?
No. It will cover land-based totalisator betting at racecourses and physical betting locations. Online gambling is regulated separately under the Dutch Remote Gambling Act.

How will the KSA assess applications?
The regulator will examine legal structure, operational continuity, internal supervision, reliability, integrity, outsourcing arrangements and incident management. It will also assess responsible gambling measures and sporting integrity policies.

What happens if multiple applicants meet the requirements?
If more than one applicant passes the initial assessment, a notary will select the licence holder through an unweighted lottery.

What financial contribution must the successful operator make?
The licence holder must transfer 10% of monthly gross gaming revenue generated from bets on horse and trotting races organised in the Netherlands to the Dutch horse racing sector.

Will ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland automatically retain the licence?
No. The company currently holds the existing authorisation but will need to participate in the new procedure and satisfy the applicable requirements to obtain the next licence.