NL Netherlands · Guide

Lotteries in the Netherlands.

In the Netherlands, paid lotteries must serve a good cause and are licensed by the municipality or the Kansspelautoriteit. Commercial paid raffles are firmly off limits.

01 At a glance

The short version.

Regulator
Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa)
Paid lotteries
Must serve a good cause, with at least 40% of one-off lottery proceeds going to it
Licensing
Small lotteries by the municipality, prize packages of €4,500 or more by the Ksa
Online
Tickets can be sold online, but the draw itself may not be held online
Promotional games
Paid promotional games of chance count as illegal lotteries
Commercial raffles
Not permitted. The Ksa acted against a purchase-linked car raffle in June 2026.

02 The models

Two licensed routes.

Paid draws in the Netherlands exist to raise money for good causes, and the size of the prize decides who licenses them.

01

One-off charity lotteries

A single lottery for a good cause, licensed by the municipality or, for prize packages of €4,500 or more, by the Ksa. At least 40% of proceeds must go to the cause.

02

Ongoing charity lotteries

Recurring lotteries for good causes under a Ksa licence. The current licence period runs from August 2025 to August 2030.

+ Know before you run

What operators need to know.

  1. Tickets can be sold online, but the Ksa says the draw may not take place online. Take advice on how any online draw process fits.
  2. At least 40% of one-off lottery proceeds must go to the good cause.
  3. Commercial paid raffles are not allowed. In June 2026 the Ksa imposed a penalty order of €150,000 per breach on a purchase-linked car raffle.

03 Questions

Common questions.

Can a company run a paid raffle in the Netherlands?

No. Paid lotteries must serve a good cause and be licensed, and the Ksa acts against commercial raffles, including purchase-linked ones.

Can lottery tickets be sold online in the Netherlands?

Yes, for licensed lotteries. The draw itself, however, may not be held online.

How much must go to the good cause?

At least 40% of the proceeds of a one-off lottery.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Rules change and depend on exactly how a draw is run, so take advice for your own model. Reviewed September 2026.

04 Access

Running lotteries in the Netherlands? Talk to us.

Every Blockdraws draw is sealed in advance and leaves a public record anyone can check.

Blockdraws is white-label draw software with every draw verifiable by anyone. Available by application.

hello@blockdraws.com

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