Apple and Google Remove 856 Illegal Gambling Apps in Dutch Enforcement Update

Apple and Google removed 856 illegal gambling apps during the first nine months of 2026, according to figures supplied to the Dutch parliament by the Ministry of Justice and Security.

Of those removals, 71 followed notifications from the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). The ministry disclosed the figures in answers to parliamentary questions concerning its 2027 budget. 

KSA-linked removals exceed full-year 2025 total

In 2025, the two companies removed 1,021 illegal gambling apps, including 33 following KSA notifications. The regulator-linked total for January-September 2026 therefore exceeded twice the figure recorded during the whole previous year.

The ministry also reported 36 removals in 2024, of which 15 followed notifications from KSA.

The figures combine Apple’s App Store and Google Play, without a separate breakdown for each platform. 

Platforms also remove apps independently

KSA investigates suspected illegal gambling apps through its own research and information received from consumers and other stakeholders.

The regulator began notifying Apple in August 2024 and Google in May 2025. According to the ministry, both companies remove every app reported to them by KSA.

However, many apps examined by the regulator have already been removed by the platforms before it submits a notification. The KSA-linked figures consequently represent only part of the overall removal activity.