The Dutch Gambling Authority updated the online gambling deposit capacity verification guidelines this week, applying a crucial "patch" to a system that will be mandatory from October 2024. The core clarification is that the monthly deposit limit can only be based on the player's structural regular income, and one-time items such as savings, business assets, net value of real estate, bonuses, and gifts must not be included. KSA found through spot checks that some operators had incorrectly included non-regular assets in income calculations, artificially inflating deposit limits. The PASA website noted that from the initial guidelines in early February 2025 to the current tightening, less than a year and a half has passed—Dutch regulators' patience is clearly narrowing.
Young players €300, older players €700: every penny must be accounted for
Under the "duty of care" clause of the Dutch responsible gambling framework, licensed online operators must perform capacity checks when players apply to exceed the legal monthly deposit limit starting from October 2024. The current threshold distinguishes two age groups: 18 to 24-year-olds have a monthly net deposit limit of €300, over 24s have a limit of €700.
This update to the "Good and Bad Practices" guidelines directly addresses a previously vague issue—what counts as "income". KSA's answer is very clear: only repeatable structural income can be used to determine limits. Liquid assets, spouse's income, loans, and designated social welfare funds should not be considered as regular sources of income. Additionally, for young adult players, operators are prohibited from initiating an increase in the **€300 monthly limit, regardless of reported income; for low-income players, the calculation of safe entertainment expenses should use a ratio below the standard **30%** of net income.
On a technical operational level, the guidelines suggest operators use multiple recent pay slips or a period's cumulative average income to determine monthly income capacity, rather than relying solely on the highest single pay slip—which is precisely the common calculation error criticized.
Spot checks on 20 companies, talks with 10: regulatory action has begun
KSA is not issuing empty threats. After the initial guidelines were released, the authority conducted spot checks on 20 licensed operators, and the results were not optimistic—ongoing non-compliance and some procedural flaws still exist. Enforcement actions taken so far include 10 corrective talks, 3 formal warnings, and 1 binding directive. KSA clearly states that it will maintain focused supervision and conduct further inspections to ensure that the tightened standards are fully implemented.
From a public opinion standpoint, this route has solid social support. A survey first published last October showed that among 1507 respondents, overall support for deposit limits has risen from 76% to 82% over two years. PASA's website believes that this trend trajectory reflects a broader European trend—when the public's tolerance for gambling risks continues to decline, tightening regulation is no longer just an institutional choice, but a societal expectation that must be met.
Thirteen "poor practices": from self-reported income to freezing bonuses
The updated guidelines list 13 "poor practices" that operators must avoid, covering income verification, limit calculation, and post-intervention operations. Several points are particularly noteworthy: accepting income data based solely on player self-reporting or other unverifiable documents; after deposit limit intervention, bonus restriction period less than the mandatory 30 days; and including a partner's income or loans as structural income.
In terms of positive practices, the guidelines encourage operators to allow players to make a one-time deposit exceeding the limit before officially setting a hard limit, provided that the capacity check has not yet been completed. It also emphasizes that operators must fully record and retain the calculation method of the net deposit limit in player files, ensuring that every step is verifiable.
For operators licensed in the Netherlands, KSA's update sends a clear signal: deposit capacity checks are not a formality, assets do not equal income, and regulatory scrutiny has already begun examining the books.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader" gambling news channel: https://t.me/pasa_news
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