Dutch regulator bans first-yellow and first-corner bets

The Kansspelautoriteit told Dutch-licensed operators on May 20, 2026 that bets on which player will receive the first yellow card and on the first corner kick are not permitted during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The regulator warned it will take immediate enforcement action against breaches of advertising and sponsorship rules.

The letter, signed by KSA chairman Michel Groothuizen and published Tuesday, reiterated prohibitions on untargeted advertising and sports sponsorship. Groothuizen wrote: ‘We saw at the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 European Championship that gambling increased. That makes it interesting for companies to attract new players during that period.’ He added that ‘when we see that this is not happening, we will take immediate action.’

The KSA pledged to apply direct enforcement against domestic licensees that offer the specified bet types or break ad and sponsorship restrictions during the tournament period. The regulator named the prohibited wagers explicitly and said monitoring will also cover advertising by illegal operators.

The notice follows policy changes in the Netherlands. The coalition agreement published January 30 grouped online gambling with drugs and sex work under a ‘sober policy’ section and proposed a complete advertising ban, stronger duties of care for operators, tougher action against illegal sites, and consideration of limits on the number of licenses. Sports sponsorship for gambling has been fully banned since July 2025 and untargeted advertising has been restricted since reforms in 2023.

The KSA has stepped up enforcement against illegal advertising. In April it filed more than 4,600 takedown reports for illegal gambling adverts on Meta platforms. A joint study cited by the regulator found that 11.2% of ads from KSA-licensed operators on those platforms still reached users under 24, and that operators licensed for offline activity breached targeting rules at roughly four times the rate of online-only operators.

Other European regulators have raised related concerns ahead of the tournament, with one authority reporting a near-doubling of online participation in its market since 2018. Separately, industry groups have urged clubs and leagues to drop unlicensed, crypto-funded sponsors ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The World Cup group stage begins June 11 with matches in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The KSA’s letter sets expectations for bet menus, advertising content and sponsorships during the tournament and instructs licensees to maintain protections for young adults and other vulnerable groups.