Tender for Dutch horse race betting licence begins

The Netherlands Gaming Authority (KSA) will accept applications for the country's only land-based toto licence in January 2027. The licence will give one operator the exclusive right to offer pool betting on horse and trotting races. The licence period will cover 1 July 2027 to 30 June 2032.

Applications will be accepted from 4 to 31 January 2027. The application documents are expected to be published in December 2026. Each applicant must pay a non-refundable processing fee of EUR 40,900 in advance. The current licence holder, ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland, has its licence expiring on 30 June 2027.

The new licence covers offline pool betting at racetracks and in physical betting offices. Online horse race betting is excluded from the tender and will remain subject to a separate online gambling regime.

The assessment has two stages. The first stage will examine corporate structure, operational continuity, internal audit, integrity and incident management. Applicants must explain how they will prevent excessive gambling, addiction and participation by minors. If more than one candidate passes, a notary will determine the winner by a weightless draw.

The winning operator will transfer 10 percent of its monthly gross gaming revenue from bets on Dutch horse and trotting races to the horse sports sector. Dutch law allows only one operator during the licence period. Although the tender offers a competitive route, it does not guarantee that the current operator will be replaced.