Dutch regulator sets 2027 tender for sole retail totalisator licence
The Kansspelautoriteit said on 28 October it will open the award process in January 2027 for the Netherlands’ single offline horse-race betting licence covering July 2027 to June 2032.
Conceptual still life illustrating the Dutch retail horse-race betting licence tender. AI-generated conceptual illustration. Does not depict the actual people or event. Credit: iGaming News Desk
The Kansspelautoriteit said on 28 October that it will begin an open and transparent award procedure in January 2027 for the Netherlands’ totalisator licence covering 1 July 2027 to 30 June 2032. The regulator said only one licence will be awarded because the totalisator is structured as a legal monopoly in the Dutch market.
The licence applies only to offline pari-mutuel betting on horse races. The regulator said that includes betting at racecourses and physical betting outlets, while online gambling is excluded because it falls under the Netherlands’ separate remote-gambling licensing regime.
What the timetable establishes
The announcement gives the market a formal timetable for the next concession period but not the full tender package. The Kansspelautoriteit said the application materials, including the application form and a model licence, are expected in December 2026, so the detailed operative terms were not yet available on the published source page.
Scope remains narrow
The re-tender concerns a specific retail betting concession rather than a broader change to Dutch betting regulation. Based on the regulator’s statement, the process affects only the exclusive land-based totalisator licence and does not alter the separate framework for online betting licences.
What remains unresolved
The regulator’s notice did not establish who plans to apply for the concession. With no verified applicant list in the available primary material, any interest beyond the current market structure remains unconfirmed at this stage.
Sources
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