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Dutch Regulator Opens New Horse Racing Betting Licence Process for 2027

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Altay Celikkaya

Content Manager

Updated: 30/10/26

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit, KSA) has announced a new licensing process for land-based horse racing betting, inviting operators to compete for a five-year exclusive permit starting in July 2027.

Announced on 28 October 2026, the procedure will replace the existing totalisator licence held by ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland B.V., which expires on 30 June 2027. Applications will open in January, giving eligible operators a chance to secure the country’s only licence for offline horse-race pool betting.

Dutch regulator KSA announces a new horse racing betting licence for 2027–2032.

Regulation & Compliance

Key Takeaways From the Dutch Horse Racing Licence Process

The KSA will begin accepting licence applications on 4 January 2027, with submissions closing on 31 January.
Only one exclusive totalisator licence will be awarded for the five years ending 30 June 2032.
ZEbetting & Gaming Nederland’s current licence expires on 30 June 2027.
Applicants must pay a non-refundable €40,900 application fee.
If several applicants meet the requirements, the winner will be selected through a supervised lottery.
The permit covers land-based horse-race pool betting and excludes online gambling operations.

KSA Sets Out New Five-Year Licensing Framework

According to the KSA’s official announcement, the new licence will run from 1 July 2027 until 30 June 2032. The regulator said, translated from Dutch: “Because this is a statutory monopoly, only one licence is available.”

The totalisator permit covers pari-mutuel betting, where wagers are pooled, and winnings are distributed among successful bettors. It applies exclusively to physical betting locations, including racecourses and betting shops. Online horse racing betting falls under the Netherlands’ separate remote gambling licensing framework.

The successful operator must also contribute 10% of monthly gross gaming revenue from bets on horse races and trotting events held in the Netherlands to the domestic horse racing sector.

Two-Stage Selection Process for Applicants

The KSA will assess applications through two stages.

First, applicants must demonstrate financial and operational continuity, integrity, suitable governance, responsible gambling safeguards and experience providing land-based sports betting.

Requirements also cover outsourcing arrangements, incident management, underage gambling prevention and match-fixing controls. If more than one applicant qualifies, a notary will conduct an unweighted lottery to determine the successful operator.

Application documents and the model licence are expected to become available in December 2026.

What the Licence Means for Dutch Betting Operators

The announcement follows the KSA’s recent decision to award three monopoly gambling licences to Lotto BV, highlighting the continued role of exclusive permits in the Dutch betting market.

For prospective applicants, the latest process creates a defined route into land-based horse racing betting without expanding the number of available licences.

Compliance will remain central to the assessment. The regulator has recently strengthened scrutiny of identity checks at physical gambling venues and continued efforts to identify licensed operators through cooperation with Google.

With applications opening in January, interested operators have a limited window to prepare their documentation before the next five-year licence period begins.