CRUKS: what is it, and how does it work?

CRUKS is a registry for people who (temporarily) do not want to or are not allowed to gamble. Here you will find answers to all your questions about CRUKS.

What is CRUKS?

Since October 1, 2021, there is a national register for people who are not allowed to gamble or visit casinos. This register is called CRUKS: Central Register Exclusion of Games of Chance.

Before you enter a casino (or visit an online casino), the casino must check whether you are registered in CRUKS. If so, you will not be allowed to enter the casino.

The CRUKS database is managed by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) in The Hague. The KSA calls a registration in CRUKS 'a play break'.

How do you get listed in CRUKS?

Your name can end up in CRUKS in three ways:

• You register yourself, on the site of the Kansspelautoriteit.
• Someone else (for example, a family member) signs you up.
• A casino (online) registers you.

If you register yourself, you are registered immediately.

If someone else registers you, or if a casino reports you, an extensive investigation will first be carried out to see whether you indeed have gambling problems. Only then will the gaming authority decide whether you are eligible for registration in CRUKS.

Which casinos work with CRUKS?

All legal casinos in the Netherlands. So all the establishments of Holland Casino, but also the gaming halls like Jack's Casino, Hommerson, and Fair Play. About more casinos and online money games you can check here: https://indiancustomer.in/money-game-in-indian-online-casino/

Also, all gambling sites with a Dutch license from the KSA use CRUKS. Think of Holland Casino Online, Polder Casino, and Bet365.

Please note: once you are in CRUKS, you cannot gamble anywhere else. So if you're registered in CRUKS because you gambled too much online, you won't be able to enter Holland Casino either.

It also works the other way around: if you get into CRUKS because you played too much at Holland Casino, then you can't get into any legal online casino either. You also can no longer place sports bets online if you're in CRUKS.

But CRUKS doesn't apply to lotteries or horse racing. So, you can just keep entering the State Lottery. Making a bet in the store at TOTO also remains possible if you are in CRUKS.

How can I sign up for CRUKS?

If you don't want to gamble anymore (temporarily), you can voluntarily register with CRUKS on this website. It's free and quick. Keep your DigiD at hand.

When you sign up, you choose how long you want to be in CRUKS. Minimum 6 months, maximum 99 years. After your registration, you will be registered immediately.

You can also register for CRUKS with a paper form that you can download and print.

Can casinos register players for CRUKS?

A casino (online) can register a player for CRUKS if that person displays very risky gambling behavior.

This can never be done just like that. The casino must first address the player about the playing behavior and advise to improve that behavior.

But: if a casino cannot get a grip on a player, eventually the KSA will be called in.

The KSA decides whether registration in CRUKS is appropriate. There are strict rules for such an 'involuntary exclusion.'

A condition for inclusion in the register is that the measure prevents further damage - financial, social, or personal. It must also be clear that less drastic measures will not help.

Can I register someone else in CRUKS?

Are you concerned about the gambling behavior of someone you know? Then you can ask the KSA to register that person in the CRUKS register.

For example, if your spouse gambles away all the household money. Or you have a company, and a staff member gambles so much that work suffers.

After an application, the KSA will first conduct an extensive investigation. Then the KSA decides whether the player should be registered in CRUKS or not.

In all cases, the rule is: registering someone else in CRUKS is not easy. You have to be able to prove that you have tried to help the player in other ways. And please note: you cannot register someone for CRUKS anonymously. Your name will always be disclosed to the player.

If you are registered in CRUKS against your will, you then have six weeks to object to that decision.

How long are you registered in CRUKS?

By default, you are registered in CRUKS for 6 months. If you register, you can also choose a longer period, up to 99 years.

Can I unsubscribe from CRUKS?

For the first 6 months, you can't cancel your registration in CRUKS. So, you can't gamble at all for six months.

After 6 months, however, it is possible to unsubscribe yourself from the register. How that will work exactly is not yet known. Since the CRUKS register started on 1 October 2021, the first players will only be able to unsubscribe from 1 April 2022.

How will I know when my CRUKS play break has ended?

When your play break is over, you will be silently removed from CRUKS. You will not be notified of this. All of your personal information will be removed from CRUKS immediately.

Why does CRUKS exist?

CRUKS is there to protect players. People who play too much or are gambling addicts are protected by registering them in CRUKS.

They can then no longer gamble on casino games anywhere in the Netherlands. Online sports betting is also no longer possible.

The KSA calls the Central Register for the Exclusion of Gambling "an important tool against gambling addiction". And, of course, it is. CRUKS ensures that problem players stop gambling.