Online casino helpdesk investigation reveals major differences

A legal online casino helpdesk should be more than a telephone number hidden in the footer. Players must be able to reach a Dutch-speaking employee quickly, without first having to navigate FAQs, voicemail systems or callback requests. In addition, Article 4.36 of the Remote Gambling Decree requires the helpdesk to be available electronically and by telephone, free of charge, whenever gambling is available.

For this reason, iCasino Courant called the helpdesks of 30 legal Dutch online casinos on 4 August 2026, around noon. Twenty telephone lines connected us to a human employee within ten minutes. At ten casinos, however, the tested Dutch telephone number did not provide timely direct contact, the connection was terminated or the only available option was voicemail or a callback request.

Remarkably, the problems were not limited to telephone numbers that were difficult to find. Several operators with prominently displayed 0800 numbers also kept callers waiting for a long time or disconnected the call. At the same time, other helpdesks demonstrated how easily it can be done: a clearly displayed number, a short Dutch-language recorded message and personal contact within one minute.

How were the 30 online casino helpdesks tested?

All telephone tests were conducted on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, around noon. We recorded how easy it was to find the telephone number on the website, whether it was a free number, what happened after calling, how long it took to reach a human employee and whether that employee spoke Dutch.

For this comparison, a waiting time of more than ten minutes is classified as effectively unreachable. The same assessment applies when the connection is terminated, no employee is available or only a voicemail or callback option is offered. This is an editorial assessment standard and not a time limit established by the Dutch Gambling Authority, the Kansspelautoriteit or Ksa.

One telephone call does not prove that an operator is structurally difficult to reach. A comprehensive investigation would require repeated measurements in the morning, afternoon, evening, at night and during weekends. Nevertheless, a 24/7 casino may reasonably be expected to have sufficient staffing around noon. This practical test therefore reveals relevant weaknesses.

Ranking: which online casino helpdesk performed best?

The ranking combines four criteria: actual human contact, speed, findability and whether the call was free of charge. A free 0800 number therefore produces a higher score. Regular telephone numbers received a deduction because Article 4.36 explicitly requires telephone support to be available free of charge. Operators with the same score are listed alphabetically.

Which online casino helpdesks performed best?

711 Casino, GetLucky, Hard Rock Casino, JACKS.NL and LeoVegas achieved the maximum score. Each operator offered a free telephone number that was reasonably easy or very easy to find, and human contact was established within one minute. Casino777 and TonyBet followed closely behind.

Speed was not limited to operators with an 0800 number. Hommerson, Holland Casino Online, Fair Play Online, TOTO and ZEbet also answered quickly. However, their regular 085, 088 or 070 numbers reduced their scores because callers may incur normal call charges.

A good casino helpdesk should also communicate with customers while they are waiting. Information about the expected waiting time or the caller’s position in the queue prevents uncertainty. At BetCity, BetMGM and One Casino, however, we heard nothing but music for several minutes. The calls were eventually disconnected.

No timely human contact through 10 helpdesk lines

The most serious shortcomings were identified at BetCity, BetMGM, ComeOn, Circus.nl, GGPoker, Lucky 7 Casino, One Casino and Oranje Palace. We were unable to speak to an employee at any of these operators. The official Dutch bet365 number did not work either, while Starcasino refused calls with caller ID withheld.

BetCity kept us waiting for twelve minutes before terminating the connection. ComeOn did the same after 12 minutes and 30 seconds, while BetMGM disconnected the call after 10 minutes and 30 seconds. One Casino and Oranje Palace also exceeded the ten-minute limit. None of these telephone lines provided useful information about the caller’s position in the queue.

Circus.nl terminated the call twice immediately after we selected the helpdesk option. Its separate responsible gambling option asked callers to record their name, telephone number and message. Lucky 7 Casino announced after 45 seconds that no employee was available and only offered a callback. At GGPoker, the telephone rang once before the connection was terminated. A second attempt produced the same result.

bet365 deserves a separate mention. Its official help environment displays 0800 023 8314 as the free Dutch telephone number, but we were unable to establish a connection. The UK number, +44 1782 684648, did work and connected us to a Dutch-speaking employee within one minute. However, the average Dutch player will probably try the Dutch number first and find themselves unable to proceed.

What does the Ksa require from an online casino helpdesk?

The main legal requirement is set out in Article 4.36 of the Remote Gambling Decree. A licence holder must maintain a helpdesk that can be contacted electronically and by telephone, free of charge, during the hours in which players can participate in the licensed games of chance.

Furthermore, Article 4.38 requires communication with players to be available in Dutch. The official explanatory memorandum to the Remote Gambling Decree clarifies that players must be able to contact the licence holder’s staff quickly and easily.

The Ksa does not publish a specific maximum waiting time. However, in November 2025, the regulator contacted 888 about poor availability and long waiting times. The Ksa emphasised that licence holders must have a Dutch-speaking helpdesk available at all times, particularly when players have questions or concerns about their gambling behaviour.

A definitive decision on compliance is a matter for the Ksa and requires more evidence than a single telephone test. We therefore do not automatically classify paid numbers, long waiting times or callback systems as proven violations. Nevertheless, they may be at odds with the wording or purpose of Article 4.36 when no equivalent, direct and free telephone alternative is available.

Must an online casino telephone number be free?

Yes. The wording of the law explicitly requires telephone support to be available free of charge. A Dutch 0800 number generally satisfies that requirement. Calls to regular numbers beginning with 020, 0229, 0297, 070, 085, 088 or 0970 may incur normal call charges. The fact that a call is often included in a mobile subscription does not guarantee that every player can call free of charge.

Sixteen of the 30 casinos investigated used an 0800 number. The other fourteen published a regular Dutch telephone number. This second group included Betnation, Fair Play Online, GGPoker, Holland Casino Online, Hommerson, Lucky 7 Casino, One Casino, Oranje Palace, TOTO, Unibet, VBET, Winnitt, Winz and ZEbet.

Without giving the operators an opportunity to respond, we cannot exclude the possibility that some also provide a free callback service or another free telephone channel. However, when the paid number we found is the only telephone route to the helpdesk, one critical question remains: how does the operator comply with the requirement for free telephone access?

Why a callback option is not the same as being available

A callback service can be a convenient additional option. Nevertheless, it does not replace direct telephone contact. Callers do not know when an employee will return the call, may miss the incoming call and sometimes have to record personal information or a sensitive request. This delay is particularly undesirable in urgent situations.

A system that only offers voicemail or a callback may therefore be at odds with Article 4.36 and its official explanatory memorandum. The memorandum refers to direct, quick and easy contact with staff. Circus.nl and Lucky 7 Casino did not provide immediate human contact during this test.

Courant assessment

A callback service is a useful addition to an accessible telephone line, but it is not a credible substitute for direct telephone support.

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Starcasino refuses anonymous calls before identification

At Starcasino, the recorded welcome message was followed by an announcement that anonymous calls were not permitted. The caller was instructed to enable caller ID and try again, after which the connection was automatically terminated. Consequently, callers were not given an opportunity to identify themselves during a conversation.

Caller ID is not a reliable form of identity verification. Someone may call from a business telephone, another person’s device or a new telephone number. Telephone numbers can also be spoofed. A casino may, of course, ask verification questions before providing access to account information, but this should normally happen after an employee answers the call.

General questions about registration, complaints, game rules and responsible gambling do not always require account verification. Someone experiencing a sensitive gambling problem may also have good reasons to withhold their telephone number. Automatically blocking the call therefore creates a serious accessibility restriction and may be at odds with the requirement for direct and easy contact.

The Dutch Data Protection Authority allows organisations to verify a customer’s identity appropriately. However, that does not automatically justify a technical barrier that prevents any conversation from taking place.

Unibet: fast support after a complicated digital obstacle course

Unibet answered within one minute and the employee spoke Dutch. Nevertheless, the operator finished in twentieth place because its telephone number, 085 888 6716, was exceptionally difficult to find.

From the responsible gambling page, visitors must select ‘Contact Us’, followed by ‘Need more help?’, then ‘Contact Us’ again. They must subsequently select a subject and category, pass five suggested FAQs and proceed to another step. Only then is the telephone number displayed.

This is not a logical contact route for someone who needs help quickly. Article 4.34 also requires the licence holder’s contact details and the helpdesk’s contact details to be accessible on both the public part of the website and the player interface. Publishing information somewhere is not the same as making it practically findable.

The same page contains the remarkable Dutch heading ‘Gokverslaafde Vertegenwoordiger’, which literally translates as ‘Gambling Addict Representative’. Presumably, Unibet intended to refer to the legally appointed representative in the field of gambling addiction: a representative for people experiencing gambling problems, rather than a representative who is personally addicted to gambling. One missing word makes a considerable difference.

Why an accessible casino helpdesk is essential for responsible gambling

A helpdesk does not only deal with delayed withdrawals, missing deposits or malfunctioning games. Someone may call to request the immediate closure of their account, report fraud or explain that they are losing control of their gambling. In such cases, every minute can matter.

During an acute crisis, a trained employee should remain calm, follow the internal escalation protocol and arrange appropriate assistance. Someone experiencing suicidal thoughts can be referred to 113 Suicide Prevention. Where there is an immediate threat to life, calling the emergency number 112 may be an appropriate next step. In such a situation, an unreachable telephone line can have far more serious consequences than an unanswered routine service request.

Availability is therefore an essential part of responsible gambling. A good helpdesk is not merely an operational expense. It is visible evidence of social responsibility and can even become a convincing distinguishing feature. Further information about gambling limits, support tools and professional assistance is available on our Responsible Gambling page.

Conclusion: availability is not a box-ticking exercise

This practical test reveals a divided market. Several online casino helpdesks answer the telephone quickly, free of charge and in Dutch. At the same time, one-third of the tested lines failed our maximum waiting-time standard or direct accessibility test. That percentage is too high for an industry in which players can gamble around the clock.

Long waiting times without information, terminated calls, callback-only systems, difficult-to-find numbers and paid telephone numbers all deserve attention. Not every shortcoming automatically proves a regulatory violation. However, the findings show where current practices may be at odds with Article 4.36 of the Remote Gambling Decree.

The best-performing operators demonstrate that fast accessibility is not merely a theoretical ideal. An employee answering within one minute, a clearly displayed 0800 number and a straightforward contact page are technically and operationally achievable. The question is therefore not whether it can be done, but why so many other casinos failed to provide it at the time of our investigation.

Frequently asked questions about online casino helpdesks