Netherlands: bonus consent and protected groups

The local distinction that matters

Players must expressly accept bonus conditions and be able to decline further bonuses. Guidance also prohibits offering a bonus during play and describes restrictions following safer-gambling intervention. A message in an account is not proof that targeting was lawful. Loss-linked cashback is specifically identified as impermissible.

Protection and practical limits

Keep the acceptance record and any request to stop promotions. If another offer arrives after opting out, preserve the message. Marketing opt-out differs from self-exclusion: the former concerns communications, while the latter restricts gambling access.

An offer can be visible yet wrongly targeted

A twenty-two-year-old might be old enough for some gambling participation but still belong to the young-adult group protected from bonus targeting under the Dutch guidance. A message arriving in that person’s account does not prove the targeting was compliant. Similarly, an offer after a prevention intervention requires attention to the guidance on restrictions following interventions; the event and timing matter, not just the size of the reward.

Separate accepted rewards from new persuasion

The regulator distinguishes new offers from bonuses already agreed before an intervention, which must be handled according to their conditions. Record whether the dispute concerns fulfilment of an accepted obligation or a fresh incentive to play. This prevents a complaint from accidentally requesting another promotion when the real issue is an existing balance. Consent records, intervention dates and the exact message can be more informative than the advertised percentage. A request to stop bonuses should also remain distinct from a request to exclude gambling access.

Common questions

Sources & further reading