The Netherlands has tightened how operators judge what players can afford. Savings, home equity, and a partner’s income no longer count. Only recurring pay does.
The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has tightened its means test guidance for online gambling. Deposit limits must now be based only on players’ structural, recurring income. Savings, home equity, one-off bonuses, and a partner’s income no longer count. The change closes a loophole that had inflated some players’ deposit limits.
- What the KSA Changed
- How the Means Test Works
- Good Practice vs Bad Practice
- Enforcement and What Comes Next
The Dutch Gaming Authority has tightened its means test rules for online gambling. The regulator, known as the KSA, published revised guidance this week. It clarifies how operators must assess whether players can afford higher deposit limits. The core change is decisive: limits must rest only on structural, recurring income. Savings, business assets, home equity, and one-off payments like bonuses no longer count. The move follows inspections that found persistent shortcomings across licensed operators. It sharpens the Netherlands’ duty-of-care framework, introduced in 2024, and closes a loophole that had inflated some deposit limits.
What the KSA Changed
The key clarification concerns what counts as income. Deposit limits must now be based exclusively on recurring income. Liquid assets are explicitly excluded, meaning savings, business assets, home equity, and one-off bonuses or gifts. According to the KSA, the earlier wording had misled some operators. They factored in these non-recurring assets, producing inflated deposit limits. The revised “good and bad practices” document fixes that ambiguity. It updates the initial guidance issued in February 2025. The distinction matters because a player’s savings say little about sustainable monthly spending. Recurring income is a far better measure of what someone can lose without harm. As a result, the tightened definition should pull some players’ limits back down. The Dutch Gaming Authority published the guidance this week.
How the Means Test Works
The means test kicks in at set deposit thresholds. Since October 2024, Dutch-licensed operators must run one whenever a player asks test to deposit above the monthly limit. Those limits are €300 net for players aged 18 to 24. For players 24 and over, the limit is €700 net. The test exists to stop players gambling beyond their financial capacity. It anchors the KSA’s duty-of-care framework. Under the revised rules, operators must calculate limits from recurring income alone. The guidance recommends using several recent payslips, or averaging pay over a period, for accuracy. According to the KSA, operators must also document how each limit was calculated. That evidence must stay in player records. The framework mirrors affordability debates in other regulated markets, as our report on the UK’s financial-risk-assessment fight shows.
Good Practice vs Bad Practice
The guidance sets out clear examples on both sides. On the positive side, operators can bar limit increases above €300 a month for young adults, whatever their declared income. They can also apply less than the standard 30% of net income when setting safe spending for low-income players. A one-off deposit above a player’s limit is permitted before a hard cap of €300 or €700 applies, if the means test is incomplete. The document also flags 13 bad practices to avoid. These include accepting unverified, self-declared income that cannot be traced. Another is treating liquid assets, a partner’s income, loans, or earmarked social benefits as structural income. A common calculation error is using a player’s highest payslip instead of an average. In contrast, averaging pay gives a truer picture of monthly capacity.
Enforcement and What Comes Next
The tightening followed real enforcement findings. After the February 2025 guidance, the KSA test sample-checked 20 licence holders. It found persistent non-compliance and procedural weaknesses. Enforcement so far includes 10 improvement interviews, three formal warnings, and one binding instruction. The regulator said it will keep supervision focused and run further oversight. The goal is full adoption of the tightened standards. Public backing gives the KSA room to push. According to an October study of 1,507 respondents, support for the deposit limits rose from 76% two years ago to 82%. That growing approval strengthens the regulator’s hand against operator resistance. Following this pattern, affordability checks are becoming a defining battleground for online gambling regulators, a theme running through our report on the 2026 online casino market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Dutch means test?
The Dutch means test is an affordability check that online gambling operators must run when a player wants to deposit above monthly limits. Since October 2024, limits are €300 net for players aged 18 to 24 and €700 for those 24 and over, ensuring players do not gamble beyond their means.
What did the KSA change?
The KSA clarified that deposit limits must be based only on structural, recurring income. Savings, home equity, business assets, and one-off bonuses can no longer count. Earlier wording had misled some operators into including these assets, inflating limits. The revised guidance closes that loophole for Dutch online gambling operators.
What counts as income under the new rules?
Only structural, recurring income counts, such as regular salary. Operators should use multiple recent payslips or average pay over a period. Liquid assets, a partner’s income, loans, and earmarked social benefits must not be treated as structural income when calculating a player’s deposit limit under the KSA guidance.
What enforcement has the KSA taken?
After sample-checking 20 licence holders, the KSA found persistent non-compliance. Enforcement so far includes 10 improvement interviews, three formal warnings, and one binding instruction. The regulator said it will maintain focused supervision and carry out further oversight to ensure full adoption of the tightened means test standards.
Do players support the deposit limits?
Yes. According to an October study of 1,507 respondents, public support for the Dutch deposit limits rose from 76% two years ago to 82%. That test growing approval strengthens the KSA’s position as it tightens means test rules and pushes operators toward full compliance with the duty-of-care framework.
Is a partner’s income allowed in the calculation?
No. Under the revised guidance, a partner’s income cannot be treated as structural income when setting a player’s deposit limit. The KSA lists this among 13 bad practices, alongside counting loans, liquid assets, or earmarked social benefits as recurring income for affordability purposes.
This article has been thoroughly researched and reviewed by the CasinoBait editorial team to ensure accuracy and relevance for Asian casino players.
