Effective from 1 January 2026, the KSA operates under a new board comprising one full-time chair supported by two part-time directors. The reform comes as KSA reforms its internal departments that will now function as “three principal directorates”.
Changes will help the KSA sharpen its mandate on improving player protection, digitalisation and data-driven supervision. The regulator said the new structure is intended to “respond to the increasing complexity of gambling oversight, driven by technological developments such as artificial intelligence, the growth of illegal gambling supply, and intensified international regulatory cooperation.”
Chairman Michel Groothuizen remains in charge of day-to-day operations, acting as the organisation’s primary leader both domestically and internationally. Groothuizen will be supported by two part-time board members, whose recruitment and appointment process is at an advanced stage.
The new directors’ are expected to provide strategic expertise and act as sparring partners in areas including governance, integrity and digital transformation.
The change in operational structure sees KSA transition to the three directorates: Player Protection & Management Advice, Permits & Supervision, and Digitalisation, Analysis & Business Operations. The new structure is intended to create “clearer lines of responsibility and enable faster decision-making, while allowing the board to focus more explicitly on strategy, framework-setting and oversight of statutory and societal objectives.”
The transition marks the departure of Vice-Chair Bernadette van Buchem, who has served on the KSA board since 2018. Van Buchem is concluding a 40-year career in public service, including senior roles at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).
The governance changes come at a pivotal moment for Dutch gambling, as the Netherlands prepares for a broader legislative overhaul in 2026. The Kamer maintains its pledge to repeal and replace the Remote Gambling Act (KOA), the framework which launched the regulated online gambling market in 2020.
Progress on reform was paused following the collapse of the Dutch conservative coalition government leading to the Netherlands Snap Election in Novemer 2025.
As stands Kamer responsibilities for gambling policy are maintained by Arco Rutte, who was as State Secretary for Legal Protection. However changes are due as a new governing coalition has yet to be formed. Negotiations are currently underway as Rob Jetten, leader of the social-liberal Democrats 66 (D66) bargains with four parties to establish a centrist government.
Despite the political uncertainty, a broad consensus has emerged within the Kamer that the overhaul of KOA should prioritise harm reduction, with specific protections for young consumers under the age of 24.
Lawmakers have also confirmed that the reform process will not include a review of gambling taxation, with the planned increase in online gambling taxes to 38% of gross gaming revenue (GGR) by 2027 remaining in place.
KSA Chairman Michel Groothuizen has acknowledged the scale of the regulatory challenge, stating that future gambling policy must explicitly account for the most severe gambling-related risks, including suicide and minimising financial harms.
KOA licenses have broadly supported the inbound legislative reforms, however the forthcoming government has been urgently warned to fix regulatory discrepancies and product restrictions that have severely weakened channelisation. Latest audits saw channelisation rates fall below 50% of gambling revenues, as the Netherlands had become an active market for black market encroachment since its regulation in 2020.
