KSA publishes guide on account closure and grants eight follow-up licenses
The guide mandates immediate account closure and payment of balances; eight licenses remain valid from 2026 to 2031.
Key Takeaways
- The KSA published on September 23, 2026, a guide that demands account closure without barriers and immediate refund of balances.
- On September 17, 2026, the KSA granted eight follow-up licenses valid from October 2026 to September 2031.
- In April 2026, the KSA already prohibited charging a fee for account closure, although it allows management or processing charges communicated in advance.
- Operators must ensure that the closure process is practically accessible, not just in the terms and conditions.
- The evaluation of follow-up licenses included violations from the previous five years and required documented corrective measures.
The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) published a new guide on September 23, 2026, regulating the process of player account closures and reinforcing obligations regarding withdrawal of balances. The authority had already granted eight follow-up licenses on September 17, valid from October 2026 to September 2031.
How account closure changes under the KSA guide
The guide makes it clear that players must be able to close their accounts as easily as they request. The KSA identified practices by licensed operators that create additional barriers to closure and deemed them unacceptable. Among the prohibited conduct, the authority specifically cites the requirement for the player to first contact customer service to initiate the closure.
The guide also establishes that if a player voluntarily contacts customer service or uses chat to request closure, the operator cannot leverage that interaction to persuade the player to continue using their services. The KSA considers converting a closure request into a retention opportunity as a violation of the player's right to freely leave the platform.
Requirements regarding balances and fees in account closure (cierre de cuenta KSA)
The KSA requires that the remaining balance in an account be paid "without unnecessary delay and without imposing conditions." This obligation applies to all licensed operators in the Dutch market supervised by the KSA.
The authority had specified in April 2026 that operators cannot charge a specific fee for closing an account. The prohibition on closure fees aims to prevent economic costs from becoming a barrier for those wishing to leave a platform.
The guide clarifies that the prohibition does not entirely preclude the application of fees: operators can, under certain conditions, apply charges for account management, payment processing, or for using certain payment methods, provided that these charges have been communicated clearly and unambiguously before the player enters the contractual relationship or uses the relevant service.
Impact on digital platform design and operations
For operators and suppliers, the guide implies changes beyond the terms and conditions. The KSA requires that the closure option be genuinely accessible in practice, not just stipulated in legal text. This includes site navigation, user flows within applications, and training customer service personnel to avoid undue friction.
The KSA document mandates recording how a closure request is processed and how the balance is treated for audit and oversight purposes. Platforms will need to adapt their internal records and verification procedures so that an inspector can unambiguously verify that a closure request was properly attended to and that the balance was returned in accordance with the regulator's mandate.
Follow-up licenses: timeline and criteria applied by the KSA
On September 17, the KSA granted the first eight follow-up licenses, which will be valid from October 2026 to September 2031. The issuance of these licenses marks the transition to a new regulatory phase in the Dutch market, which received its first remote gambling licenses in 2021, and whose first round of permits expired this week.
In this assessment, the KSA explicitly incorporated violations recorded in the previous five years. Operators had to document the measures they have taken to correct past violations and to prevent their recurrence as part of the renewal process. This remediation requirement was a material criterion in granting the follow-up licenses.
What this means for operators and regulators
The KSA indicates that the guide aims to eliminate ambiguities regarding the handling of account closures and ensure a more orderly market. For operators, the practical conclusion is that compliance requires technical, operational, and customer communication changes. Legal and product teams will need to align closure processes, help pages, and customer service scripts with the new guide.
Payment gateway and platform providers will also have specific roles: they must ensure that payment flows allow for the return of balances without unnecessary conditions and that client-facing interfaces do not introduce steps that the KSA considers barriers.
"Players must be able to close their accounts as easily as they open them," said the KSA in its statement on September 23, 2026.
The guide arrives at a transitional moment for the Dutch market. The KSA has raised the demands for operational transparency and compliance history as part of the license assessment, which obliges operators to document and demonstrate corrections for past violations to maintain their market access.
Immediate operational advice
Licensed operators must prioritize three actions: review and simplify the account closure flow on the web and app; ensure rapid balance refunds according to the guide; and update any management or payment fees to clearly state before contracting. Supplier contracts and payment integrations must be reviewed to avoid balance retention due to internal processes that the KSA might deem conditioning.
The original note was published by G&M News and signed by Diana Guerrero.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the KSA guide require regarding balance payments when closing an account?
The guide requires that the remaining balance be paid without unnecessary delay and without imposing conditions. The KSA also specifies that this refund must be made directly by the operator, and no additional requirements that delay the delivery of the money can be used.
Can operators charge a fee for closing an account after the KSA guide?
No, the KSA prohibited charging a specific fee for account closure in April 2026. The authority permits account management charges, payment processing, or certain payment method fees only if those charges were clearly communicated prior to the player accepting the service.
What operational changes must operators implement following the guide?
Operators must simplify closure flows on web and app, train customer service to avoid delays, and adjust internal records to audit closure requests and balance refunds. The KSA requires documented proof that a closure request was properly attended to.
What was the scope of the follow-up licenses granted by the KSA on September 17?
The KSA issued eight follow-up licenses on September 17, 2026, valid from October 2026 to September 2031. This assessment explicitly considered firm violations recorded over the previous five years and the corrective measures proposed by applicants.
Tags
About the author
Miguel Sandoval
Regulatory Affairs Correspondent
Miguel Sandoval tracks gambling legislation, licensing, and regulator enforcement — from Spain's DGOJ and the Latin American authorities to the UKGC, the MGA, and the state-by-state map in North America. The reports answer three questions precisely — what changed, where, and who it affects — with jurisdictions, dates, and penalties cited exactly as published. Operators and compliance officers read Miguel Sandoval to know which rulebook moved before their next meeting.
More from Miguel Sandoval
