Cruks Explained — The Dutch Self-Exclusion Register

Cruks — in full: Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen — is the Dutch national self-exclusion register for online and land-based gambling. Anyone registered in Cruks is blocked for at least six months from playing at any Dutch-licensed operator. Every KSA-licensed casino is legally required to check Cruks at login and registration.

This page is the practical explanation: what Cruks does, how to register (and deregister), what happens under the hood, and the exceptions to be aware of.

Author: Marijan Karajanov. Last updated: 20 May 2026.

In one sentence: what Cruks is

Cruks is the register managed by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) in which Dutch players can enrol to block themselves for a minimum of six months from all KSA-licensed online and land-based gambling operators. Enrolment works across all licensed operators, not per casino. Removal is not possible earlier than six months after enrolment.

Why Cruks exists

The Remote Gambling Act (Wet Kansspelen op Afstand), which opened the Dutch online market in October 2021, explicitly tied market opening to a functioning national self-exclusion register. The principle: if you stop today and exclude yourself for six months, that decision cannot be undone by signing up at a different operator an hour later. Cruks translates that principle into infrastructure — one central register, all licensed operators mandatorily connected.

The register is managed by the KSA (cruks.nl) and enforced through DigiD-linked identity verification on the operator side.

How to enrol

Go to cruks.nl.
Log in with DigiD. This is mandatory because the register is identity-bound, not account-bound.
Choose the exclusion duration: minimum six months, with the option to continue afterwards.
Confirm. From that moment you are blocked whenever you try to log in or register at any KSA-licensed operator.

The exclusion becomes active within minutes and applies across all licensed operators. You don't need to close accounts per casino — operators receive a signal via the Cruks API that your identity is blocked.

How to deregister (after a minimum of six months)

Deregistration is deliberately non-impulsive:

You must have been enrolled for at least six months.
You can then submit a deregistration request via cruks.nl with DigiD.
There is a cooling-off period between request and actual deregistration — typically several days — to prevent impulsive removal.
Only after the cooling-off period is your access to licensed operators restored.

If you want to control your gambling without committing to a longer period, an operator-level deposit limit or session limit is a less drastic instrument. Operators are required to offer both at registration.

What Cruks does not do

Cruks does not block unlicensed operators. Operators without a KSA licence — often the ones advertising as "not on Cruks" — are not connected to the register. That is exactly their appeal to some players, and exactly why the KSA pursues them.
Cruks does not block advertising. Advertising restrictions are a separate KSA regulation operating at market level, not individual level.
Cruks does not block social activity. Poker nights with friends, casino trips abroad — Cruks touches none of these. The register is specific to KSA-licensed offerings.
Cruks does not affect your BetVouch account. This is a review platform, not a gambling operator; you can keep logging in, reading reviews, and filing complaints during a Cruks enrolment.

What operators are required to do

Every KSA-licensed operator must:

Check Cruks at every registration and every login
Block access immediately on a positive Cruks signal
Initiate no marketing emails, push notifications, or phone contact to enrolled players during the exclusion period
Not automatically reactivate at the end of the exclusion — the player must actively log in

Operators violating these obligations receive KSA fines. Enforcement decisions are publicly searchable in the enforcement register.

What to do if an operator ignores Cruks

If you are enrolled in Cruks and can still log in or register at a KSA-licensed operator, that is a serious operator violation. Steps:

Document. Screenshots, login time, support ticket IDs, any transactions.
Report to the operator. Send a formal complaint through the complaints procedure (not support) referencing your Cruks status.
Report to the KSA. Via kansspelautoriteit.nl. Cruks violations are a priority enforcement category.
Request repayment. If you lost money while validly enrolled in Cruks, there is strong precedent that the operator must repay those losses. The BetVouch mediation service can open this case for you.

Frequently asked questions

Does Cruks also cover land-based casinos (Holland Casino, Jack's Casino)?

Yes. Cruks applies to all KSA-licensed operators, including land-based casinos and arcades. Enrolment excludes you from both online and land-based licensed offerings.

Can I still play the state lottery during Cruks?

Lotteries under the older Gambling Act (Staatsloterij, Postcode Loterij) are a separate licence category and generally fall outside Cruks. Check cruks.nl for the exact scope of your exclusion.

What if I play via VPN at a foreign site — does that count?

Cruks technically blocks only KSA-licensed operators. Playing via VPN at an unlicensed site falls outside Cruks protection. From a self-control perspective: if you enrolled because you experience a problem, searching for a Cruks workaround is a sign the problem isn't under control yet. See AGOG or Jellinek for support.