The Government of the Netherlands announced that it will prohibit sponsorship of bookmakers from mid-2025. The intention is to expand the protection of vulnerable groups, especially among young people, against the danger of problems with games.
In addition, advertising for betting sites on TV, radio and billboards will also be banned in the country from this year onwards. However, bookmakers will continue to be able to carry out campaigns on social networks and pay-TV channels.
“Publicity is needed to make known the legal offer of online gambling, so that people do not gamble illegally. At the same time, as a government, we also have a duty to protect vulnerable groups from the risks of online gambling,” commented Franc Weerwind, Minister for Legal Protection of the Netherlands.
“With this ban, vulnerable groups, especially young people, are less exposed to these ads and we limit the temptation to start risky games”, he added.
Dutch bookmaker sponsorship ban to be stricter than Premier League ban
The Dutch government’s veto is much stricter than what will be put into practice by the Premier League (responsible for organizing the English Championship), which will prohibit bookmakers from closing master sponsorship contracts in the most valued spaces on the uniforms. The measure will take effect from the end of the 2025/2026 season.
It is worth mentioning that in the Eredivisie, the Dutch first division, some clubs promote betting platforms on their uniforms, such as AZ Alkmaar (Kansino), Fortuna Sittard and FC Volendam (BetCity), The case of Ajax, with Unibet, does not include exposure in uniforms.
About the Eredivisie
The Netherlands Football League, formerly known as the Dutch League and now known as the Eredivisie, is the most important football league in the Netherlands. In this league the national championship of the Netherlands is played. Ajax is the club with the most titles, totaling 36 cups, in 126 editions of the national competition.
