Hard Rock Casino secures Dutch sports betting approval from KSA

SpinCore Group has received approval from the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) to launch sports betting on its Hard Rock Casino platform in the Netherlands, the Malta-headquartered operator announced on LinkedIn, as reported by SBC News.

The approval covers iCasion BV, the locally registered entity that runs the Hard Rock Casino NL domain, and took effect from 12 September.

SpinCore described the move as a significant milestone, saying in its statement that it "marks another exciting chapter in the journey of Hard Rock Casino Netherlands and represents an important step forward in our ambition to deliver an even more complete online gaming experience."

The operator added that "behind this achievement lies an incredible amount of hard work, determination and teamwork."

Hard Rock Casino's Dutch operation is entirely separate from Hard Rock Digital, the international betting and gaming brand run by Hard Rock International. The two share a name but no corporate link.

The sports betting approval lands as the KSA works through a wave of licence renewals for operators that first entered the Dutch market in 2021. In early September the regulator approved renewed licences for TOTO Online, Holland Casino, Play North, FairPlay Casino, Bingoal, bet365, BetCity and GG Poker.

SBC News notes that the regulator is balancing this expansion of licensed activity against a persistent channelisation problem, with 2025 estimates putting the share of Dutch gambling spend flowing to unlicensed offshore operators at 49%.

The scale of that leakage has pushed VNLOK, the main trade body representing regulated Dutch betting firms, into legal action. VNLOK has summoned Meta to court over what it says is the continued spread of illegal gambling advertising across the platform.

Regulated operators face a further constraint on marketing, with Dutch policymakers moving toward a full ban on gambling advertising. That would limit how Hard Rock Casino can promote its new sports betting product once the restriction takes effect.

Operators are also contending with a 38.7% tax rate on gross gaming revenue, a level VNLOK and others argue leaves the licensed market at a structural disadvantage against unregulated rivals operating without equivalent tax or compliance costs.

SpinCore's expansion into sports betting therefore comes at a moment when the regulated side of the Dutch market is expanding its product range even as the conditions surrounding advertising, taxation and channelisation grow more difficult.