Anjouan vs KOA License: What Dutch Players Should Know (2026)

The KOA License: What the Netherlands Built

The Wet kansspelen op afstand (Remote Gambling Act) took effect on April 1, 2021, with the first KOA licenses issued on October 1, 2021. After years of operating in a legal gray area where Dutch players used offshore casinos without a regulated domestic alternative, the Netherlands created one of Europe's most comprehensive online gambling frameworks.

What the KOA requires from operators

• Full CRUKS integration. Every KOA licensee must check the Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen before allowing a player to register or play. This centralized self-exclusion register applies across all licensed operators simultaneously.
• Advertising restrictions. Since July 2023, untargeted gambling advertising (TV, radio, outdoor, online display) is banned in the Netherlands. Only targeted advertising to existing players over 24 is permitted. Role models, athletes, and celebrities cannot appear in gambling ads.
• Mandatory responsible gambling tools. Deposit limits, loss limits, session time limits, reality checks, and cooling-off periods must be available and prominent. Operators must proactively intervene when player behavior suggests problem gambling.
• Tax compliance. KOA operators collect and remit kansspelbelasting (gambling tax) at 30.5% on winnings above 449 EUR on behalf of players.
• Game fairness certification. All games must be certified by accredited testing laboratories. RNG and RTP must meet KSA standards.
• Dutch-language support. Customer support must be available in Dutch.
• Dispute resolution. KOA operators must participate in the KSA's complaint and dispute resolution process.

The Anjouan License: What It Offers (and Does Not)

For Dutch players encountering the Anjouan license, context is essential. The Anjouan Licensing Services Inc. (ALSI) operates from the autonomous island of Anjouan in the Comoros archipelago. It has no relationship with the Dutch regulatory system and no authority recognized by the KSA.

What ALSI requires

• Background checks on operator directors and owners
• Proof of financial reserves for player balances
• Basic responsible gambling tool implementation
• Anti-money laundering procedures
• Use of certified random number generators

What ALSI does not require (compared to KOA)

• No CRUKS integration or equivalent cross-platform self-exclusion
• No Dutch-specific advertising restrictions
• No mandatory proactive intervention for problem gambling
• No Dutch-language support requirement
• No tax withholding for Dutch players
• No participation in Dutch dispute resolution mechanisms
• No game-specific restrictions (the KSA has rules on certain game mechanics)

KOA vs. Anjouan: The Full Comparison

Legal Status: What Dutch Law Actually Says

The Dutch legal position on offshore gambling is more explicit than in many European countries. Here is the breakdown:

• Operators: Offering online gambling to Dutch residents without a KOA license is illegal. The KSA actively investigates and fines unlicensed operators that target the Dutch market. In 2023 and 2024, several unlicensed operators received significant fines for serving Dutch players.
• Players: The Remote Gambling Act technically prohibits Dutch residents from participating in unlicensed gambling offerings. However, enforcement is directed entirely at operators and intermediaries (payment providers, affiliates). No individual Dutch player has been prosecuted or fined for using an offshore casino.
• Affiliates and advertisers: Promoting unlicensed gambling operators to Dutch audiences is illegal and subject to KSA enforcement. This is why you will see fewer Dutch-language reviews of Anjouan casinos compared to KOA casinos.

CRUKS: The Most Important Difference

For responsible gambling, CRUKS is the single most significant difference between KOA and Anjouan casinos — and it deserves its own section.

CRUKS (Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen) is a centralized database operated by the KSA. It serves as a national self-exclusion register for all forms of regulated gambling in the Netherlands — online casinos, land-based casinos, sports betting, arcade halls, and lotteries.

How CRUKS works

1. A player registers for self-exclusion through the CRUKS website or requests it through a KOA-licensed operator.
2. The minimum exclusion period is six months. Players can choose longer periods up to permanent exclusion.
3. Every KOA-licensed operator checks CRUKS during registration and periodically during active use.
4. If a player is in CRUKS, they are blocked from registering, depositing, or playing at any KOA-licensed platform.
5. Exclusion cannot be reversed before the chosen period ends, even if the player requests it.

Why this matters for Anjouan casinos

Anjouan-licensed casinos are not connected to CRUKS and have no obligation to check it. A Dutch player who has self-excluded through CRUKS — recognizing they have a gambling problem — can still register and play at any Anjouan casino without obstruction.

This is not a feature of Anjouan casinos. It is a gap that undermines the purpose of CRUKS. If you have registered with CRUKS, the system is designed to protect you from impulsive gambling decisions. Seeking out unregulated casinos that bypass CRUKS defeats the very protection you sought when you registered.

Payments: What Works for Dutch Players

The Netherlands has specific payment infrastructure that affects how Dutch players can access offshore casinos.

iDEAL and the Dutch payment ecosystem

iDEAL is the dominant online payment method in the Netherlands, used in approximately 70% of online transactions. It is only available at KOA-licensed casinos. If you prefer paying with iDEAL, you cannot use it at Anjouan casinos. This is a deliberate part of the Dutch regulatory framework — keeping the most popular payment method exclusive to licensed operators.

What works at Anjouan casinos from the Netherlands

• Cryptocurrency. Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, and Litecoin are the most reliable deposit and withdrawal methods. Dutch crypto exchanges like Bitvavo allow EUR purchases that can be sent to casino wallets.
• Skrill and Neteller. Still functional for some Dutch players, though both providers have been restricting gambling services in regulated EU markets. Check current availability before relying on these.
• Bank cards (Visa/Mastercard). Increasingly unreliable. Dutch banks flag and often decline transactions to offshore gambling operators, particularly since the KSA began coordinating with payment providers.
• Paysafecard. Available at Dutch retail points but increasingly restricted at offshore gambling sites.

Tax Treatment: The 30.5% Question

Dutch gambling tax (kansspelbelasting) applies regardless of where you play. The difference is how it gets collected.

At KOA casinos

The operator automatically withholds 30.5% of any win above 449 EUR from a single game or event. You receive your winnings minus the tax. The operator reports and pays the tax to the Belastingdienst on your behalf. You do not need to do anything.

At Anjouan casinos

No tax is withheld. You receive 100% of your winnings. However, you are legally required to declare these winnings on your annual tax return and pay 30.5% kansspelbelasting yourself. The tax threshold (449 EUR per game/event) still applies.

What this means in practice

At first glance, keeping 100% of your winnings at an Anjouan casino looks better. But the tax is still owed. If you fail to report it, the Belastingdienst can assess back taxes plus penalties. With crypto gains increasingly tracked through exchange KYC requirements, assuming offshore winnings are invisible to Dutch tax authorities is no longer safe.

The Game Experience: What You Actually Get

The Netherlands' KOA framework is more permissive than Germany's GGL in terms of game types. KOA casinos offer slots, table games, live dealer, and sports betting. So the game selection gap between KOA and Anjouan is narrower than in markets with more restrictive domestic regulation.

Where differences exist:

• Bonus structures. KOA casinos must comply with strict advertising rules that limit bonus promotion. Bonuses exist but cannot be the primary marketing message. Anjouan casinos have no such restriction, resulting in more aggressive welcome offers (though often with worse terms, as detailed in our bonus guide).
• Game mechanics. The KSA has rules about certain game mechanics (e.g., restrictions on buy-a-bonus features). Anjouan casinos have no such restrictions, offering the full range of slot features including bonus buys.
• Bet limits. KOA casinos do not impose a maximum bet per spin (unlike Germany's 1 EUR limit), but individual operators may set their own limits. Anjouan casinos typically have higher maximum bets.
• Crypto-native features. Provably fair games, crypto-specific bonuses, and direct blockchain integration are available primarily at Anjouan (and other offshore) casinos. The KOA framework does not explicitly address crypto-native gambling features.

KSA Enforcement: What the Netherlands Does About Offshore Casinos

The Kansspelautoriteit is one of Europe's most active gambling regulators in pursuing unlicensed operators. Understanding their enforcement approach helps Dutch players assess the risks:

• Operator fines. The KSA has issued multi-million euro fines to unlicensed operators serving Dutch players. These fines are primarily against operators with a physical or financial presence that the KSA can reach. Anjouan-based operators with no EU ties are harder to fine.
• Affiliate enforcement. The KSA has fined and warned affiliates (comparison sites, review sites) that promote unlicensed operators to Dutch audiences. This reduces Dutch players' exposure to Anjouan casino marketing.
• Payment provider cooperation. The KSA works with Dutch banks and payment providers to identify and block transactions to unlicensed operators. This is an ongoing process — new offshore casinos may work temporarily before being identified.
• ISP blocking. The KSA has discussed but not yet widely implemented ISP-level blocking of unlicensed gambling sites. If enacted, this would require VPN usage to access blocked sites — which some Anjouan casinos prohibit in their own terms.

The KSA's enforcement is effective at limiting the reach of offshore operators in the Dutch market. An estimated 75-80% of Dutch online gambling now occurs at KOA-licensed sites, up from essentially 0% before the KOA system launched. But the remaining 20-25% of the market still flows to offshore operators, including those with Anjouan licenses.

Who Should Play Where

The choice between KOA and Anjouan comes down to what you prioritize: