Poker With Crypto From the Netherlands
Dutch online poker is licensed under the Remote Gambling Act, prizes from unlicensed sites need your own tax return, and WePlay refuses Dutch residents.
The short answer
The Netherlands opened online gambling to licensed operators under the Remote Gambling Act, and since 1 October 2021 Dutch players can play legally only at sites with a Dutch licence from the Kansspelautoriteit. A prize won at an online game without a Dutch licence must be declared by the winner in a gambling tax return. WePlay's terms refuse residents of the Netherlands.
From the sources at the bottom of the page. We are players, not lawyers; this page is what the law and our sources say, not legal advice.
At a glance
- The law
- The Remote Gambling Act (Wet kansspelen op afstand) of 20 February 2019 made online gambling possible for Dutch and foreign operators with a Dutch licence.
- Licensed poker
- Since 1 October 2021 Dutch players can play legally only at licensed sites. The first licensed poker sites were Holland Casino Online, GGPoker and Bet365, and Unibet was licensed on 22 June 2022.
- Checks
- Since 1 October 2021 players are verified with an identity document and checked against the national exclusion register, Cruks.
- Tax
- A prize from an online game without a Dutch licence, or from a game organised abroad, must be declared by the winner in a gambling tax return (aangifte kansspelbelasting).
- The rooms
- WePlay's terms refuse residents of the Netherlands. Basepoker's terms name no countries; its licence is from Costa Rica.
Licensed online gambling since 2021
The Remote Gambling Act of 20 February 2019 changed the Dutch gambling law so that Dutch and foreign operators with a Dutch licence may offer online gambling. Since 1 October 2021 Dutch players can play legally only at sites licensed by the Kansspelautoriteit. The first licensed poker sites were Holland Casino Online, GGPoker and Bet365. Unibet followed on 22 June 2022. Several large poker sites, such as PokerStars and 888poker, left the Dutch market because they had no licence.
A licensed site checks every player: since 1 October 2021 players are verified with an identity document and checked against Cruks, the national register of people excluded from gambling.
Gambling tax
A prize won at an online game without a Dutch licence, or at a game organised from abroad, must be declared by the winner to the Belastingdienst in a gambling tax return, the aangifte kansspelbelasting.
What this means for a reader in the Netherlands
WePlay's terms refuse residents of the Netherlands. Basepoker's terms name no countries, and its licence is from Costa Rica. Only sites with a Dutch licence may offer online gambling to Dutch players. We do not describe VPNs or other ways around that.
The sites licensed by the Kansspelautoriteit are the legal way to play online. Our strategy pages, the odds chart and the calculators are free to read anywhere.
Time zones
Amsterdam is UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer, so a 20:30 start on WePlay's GMT+2 schedule is 19:30 in Amsterdam in winter and 20:30 in summer. The Tonight page shows every start in UTC.
Sources
- Online poker, Dutch Wikipedia (the licensed sites since 1 October 2021, identity checks and Cruks)
- Wet op de kansspelen, Dutch Wikipedia (the Remote Gambling Act of 20 February 2019)
- Belastingdienst: gambling tax return for prizes from online games without a Dutch licence and foreign games
- WePlay terms and conditions, section 2 (the countries it refuses)
- Basepoker terms of service, sections 1.5 and 5 (the player checks the local law)
Read next
Questions
Is online poker legal in the Netherlands?
Yes, at sites licensed by the Kansspelautoriteit under the Remote Gambling Act. Since 1 October 2021 those are the only sites where Dutch players can play legally.
Do I pay tax on poker winnings in the Netherlands?
A prize from an online game without a Dutch licence, or from a game organised abroad, must be declared by the winner in a gambling tax return.
Can I play on WePlay from the Netherlands?
No. WePlay's terms refuse residents of the Netherlands.