Games of chance

Do you want to organise a betting game or a lottery? Or do you plan to organise a Like&Win campaign to promote your business or product? There are rules you must comply with, you may need a permit and you may have to pay betting and lottery tax.

What is a game of chance?

Some examples of games of chance:

• gaming machines
• lotteries
• games of bingo
• betting
• games of poker
• online games of chance, also known as remote gambling (the computer determines the outcome of the game)
• like&win campaign

There are 2 types of games of chance:

• The player has no influence on the outcome of the game. Coincidence decides who the winner is. For instance, a lottery or a game of bingo.
• Competition, where the player has influence on the outcome. For instance, solving a puzzle or participating in a quiz.

Licence for online games of chance

To offer online games of chance such as online casino games or online betting, you need a licence (in Dutch). You also should fulfil the requirements to prevent gambling addiction (in Dutch). You can apply for a licence to the Netherlands Gaming Authority (Kansspelautoriteit, Ksa, in Dutch only).

Permit for gaming machines

You need a permit to operate gaming machines or an amusement arcade. Many games of chance are illegal, or can only be organised by a few selected permit holders, like Holland Casino, the Staatsloterij, and the Lotto.

Central Exclusion Register for Games of chance

Do you have a licence to offer online games of chance, or a permit for games of chance in an amusement arcade or casino? You must be connected to the Cruks register (in Dutch). You need this connection to check if your customers are at risk of gambling addiction (in Dutch). If they are, you cannot allow them to participate. If you notice a customer playing often and/or for a long time, you must intervene. If that does not help, you can report them to the Gaming Authority (in Dutch).

Permit for organising a shopping week promotion

You need a permit if you want to organise a shopping week promotion in the Netherlands. A shopping week promotion is a lottery in which you and at least 9 other SME retailers issue free tickets to customers. You can obtain a permit for organising a shopping week promotion by contacting the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK).

Occasional lottery permit

Do you want to organise an occasional lottery by selling numbered tickets, where participants can win prizes if their ticket is drawn? You have to spend at least 40% of the proceeds from the lottery on a cause of general interest. A lottery organised to raise money for an individual or for commercial purposes is not permitted.

To organise an occasional lottery, you must apply for a permit to the municipality or the Netherlands Gaming Authority:

• If the prize money is less than €4,500, you must apply to the municipality.
• If the prize money exceeds €4,500 you apply to the Netherlands Gaming Authority (in Dutch).

Bingo or wheel of fortune

Only Dutch associations are allowed to organise a game of bingo or a wheel of fortune. To do so, they do not need a permit, but they do have to meet several conditions. For instance, they must report their plans at least 14 days in advance to the municipality where the bingo or wheel of fortune will be held. There is a fixed maximum total amount of prizes per event. As organiser of promotional games of chance, you must comply with the conditions of the Code of Conduct for Promotional Games of Chance (in Dutch).

If you organise a game of bingo or a wheel of fortune for a private group, you do not have to report this.

Like&Win campaign

Do you want to organise a promotional game of chance (in Dutch) to promote your business, product, or service, for instance a like&win campaign? You do not need a permit, but you must comply with the conditions of the Code of Conduct for Promotional Games of Chance, such as:

• Participants must be free of charge.
• Minors must have parental consent to take part.
• The prize money must not exceed €10,000.

Advertising rules for games of chance

The promotion and advertising activities for your games of chance are subjected to strict rules, laid down in the Advertising Code for Games of Chance and the Advertising Code for Online Games of Chance (ROK). For instance, you are not allowed to create the impression that people can win just by entering the competition.

Paying betting and lottery tax

Do you organise games of chance and are you established in the Netherlands? You will have to pay betting and lottery tax.