Game over? Sport sponsorship and the Dutch gambling crackdown

From 1 July 2025 there will be complete ban on untargeted advertising of online gambling in the Netherlands.

That's a dramatic reversal in policy from just four years ago, when the market was first regulated.

The move will have a particularly significant impact in the Dutch sports world, where federations and clubs have benefited from intense sponsorship spending in the few years it has been legal.

But now that flow of money is coming to an end. What impact will the new rules have, in sport and more widely? And how will the betting operators adapt?

Produced and presented by Matthew Kenyon

(Image: Tom Koops of Orion Stars playing in the Volleyball Play-off Finals match between Orion Stars and NovaTech Lycurgus on 8 May 2025 in Doetinchem, Netherlands. One of the sponsors of Dutch men's volleyball is Bet City - seen on Tom's shirt. That won't be allowed under the new rules. Credit: Getty Images)