Gambling in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba: Laws and Online Gambling

Published by Casino News Daily editorial teamReviewed byFilip RadulovicOur editorial approach

The Caribbean Netherlands – Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba – have been special municipalities (openbare lichamen) of the Netherlands since 10 October 2010. Dutch gambling policy goals apply to them, but they are governed by their own licensing legislation, often called the BES laws after the three islands, rather than by the Dutch rules for the European mainland. Casinos, hazard games and lotteries are licensed island by island, and a 2026 government-commissioned report describes a small licensed offer: a few casinos and lotteries, and no licensed online gambling. This guide explains what the sources show, where they are silent, and what that means for players. It is general information, not legal advice.

Key points

• Since 10 October 2010 Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba have been special municipalities of the Netherlands. They have their own gambling legislation: the Wet hazardspelen BES I and II, the Loterijwet BES and the Wet speelvergunningsrecht hazardspelen BES.
• The executive board of each island (the Bestuurscollege) licenses casinos, hazard games and lotteries. A 2026 government-commissioned report counts two licensed casinos and one lottery on Bonaire, one casino and three lotteries on Sint Eustatius, and one lottery and no casino on Saba.
• Online gambling is not licensed on the three islands. According to the same report, Dutch online gambling operators may not offer their websites there, and the 2021 regulation of online gambling applies only to European Netherlands.
• Dutch rules on gambling advertising and duty of care do not apply one-to-one to the islands.
• Several points are not established in official sources, including the legal minimum age, the tax treatment of winnings, the current casino levy tariffs and the role of the Dutch Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) on the islands.
• The Dutch government has announced a further study due in March 2027 and a review of the legal framework, with an update to parliament due in the first quarter of 2027.

Regional overview: Gambling laws in the Caribbean puts all 29 countries and territories on one map, grouped by how they regulate gambling.

Last reviewed: 2 November 2026.

Historical development

On 10 October 2010 Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba became special municipalities (bijzondere gemeenten, or openbare lichamen) of the Netherlands. A government-commissioned 2026 report, the WODC / Ipsos I&O study of gambling participation in the Caribbean Netherlands, states that Dutch gambling policy goals apply to the islands, while the specific online, advertising and duty-of-care rules do not apply directly and the Caribbean Netherlands has its own legislation.

Before that date, Antillean-era rules governed gambling licensing on the islands. For example, a Bonaire island decree of 27 June 1977 implemented the Antillean Landsverordening Speelvergunningsrecht Hazardspelen 1957. According to the official regulations database, that version of the decree was in force from 23 October 1984 to 9 October 2010. The database does not mark the decree as repealed, so its current status is not confirmed.

The BES gambling laws were published in the Staatsblad (the Dutch official gazette) on 1 October 2010 and took effect on 10 October 2010. They are described below.

Legal framework

The BES gambling laws

Four main texts, all published in the Staatsblad in 2010, form the framework:

• Wet hazardspelen BES I (Staatsblad 2010, 521). The Bestuurscollege may license the operation of hazard games in hotels that are specifically designated and specially equipped for them, under conditions and safeguards it sets. The licence is personal and cannot be transferred. A consolidated text exists on the government’s legislation site, with a version in force from 10 October 2010; readers should check the current consolidated texts for any later amendments.
• Wet hazardspelen BES II (Staatsblad 2010, 522). The Bestuurscollege may license associations and foundations with a social or cultural purpose to organise hazard games, again under conditions it sets. These licences are also personal and non-transferable.
• Wet speelvergunningsrecht hazardspelen BES (Staatsblad 2010, 523), the gaming-licence levy law, described under Taxation below.
• Loterijwet BES (Staatsblad 2010, 524). Lotteries that need consent are authorised by the Bestuurscollege. Sports-prize lotteries are limited to institutions established on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius or Saba.

The versions described here are those published in the Staatsblad in 2010. Readers who need certainty should check the current consolidated texts.

Island ordinances and decrees

Island-level rules fill in the detail. The levy law leaves the tariff to an island ordinance (eilandsverordening). For Bonaire, the local-regulation database also lists a decree on bingo and bon kun’e (island decree of 27 December 1993, no. 14), which implements the Antillean Landsverordening Hazardspelen II 1988 for those two games only. It is marked as in force, with the version shown from 10 October 2010, and requires a deposit to be paid to the Bonaire receiver before a licence is issued.

For Sint Eustatius, a trade-press report (BES Reporter) says that a Lottery Ordinance dated 16 December 2020 (AB 2020 no. 54) sets rules for lottery vendors, and links a separate casino and betting ordinance on playing rights (AB 2020 no. 58). Neither ordinance text is published in a source we can cite, so these details are reported rather than verified.

Criminal law

According to a secondary reproduction of the Wetboek van Strafrecht BES on inview.nl, article 266 provides for up to two years’ imprisonment or a third-category fine for offering hazard games other than under a licence under article 1 of the Wet hazardspelen BES I. The official text of the article, including any provision on minors, is not confirmed here. Separately, the gazette text of the Wet hazardspelen BES I states that a licence holder who does not meet the conditions or safeguards of the licence is treated as having acted without a licence.

Relationship with the Dutch mainland rules

The 2026 report states that the 2021 legalisation and regulation of online gambling apply only to European Netherlands, and that the Caribbean Netherlands has its own legislation. No official text states explicitly whether the Dutch remote gambling act (Wet kansspelen op afstand) or the general Dutch gambling act applies on the islands. The report implies that they do not, but this is not a confirmed legal conclusion.

Regulator and licensing model

The licensing model is local. Under the Wet hazardspelen BES I and II and the Loterijwet BES, the power to license sits with the Bestuurscollege of each island. On Bonaire, the 2026 report says that casino operators need a licence from the Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire. The model is therefore closer to island-by-island permits than to a single national regulator.

The sources do not settle which body supervises casinos in practice on each island. The role of the Dutch Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) on the BES islands is not documented in the official sources available. The levy law does give officials of the Belastingdienst, the Dutch tax authority, a joint role in investigating offences under the levy law and the hazard-game laws. The Dutch central bank (DNB) supervises casinos for anti-money laundering purposes, as described below.

Licences currently reported

The 2026 report (section 1.3) gives the following counts of licences:

Official sources do not name the licence holders on Bonaire and Sint Eustatius. The report’s footnote for Bonaire cites a bonairegov.com page that is no longer available.

Online gambling: what is permitted and how it is enforced

The 2026 report is direct on this point: online gambling is not licensed on the BES islands, and Dutch online gambling operators may not offer their websites there. No Bonaire online gaming licence appears in any official source. The report also says the 2021 regulation of online gambling applies only to European Netherlands, so a Dutch online licence should not be read as covering the BES islands.

How unlicensed online play is enforced on the islands is not explained in the report, and no other official source addresses the question. It is therefore not established whether blocking, prosecution or other measures are used. The Ksa published an online-gambling monitoring report on 29 October 2026, but it concerns the Dutch online market, and nothing in the ministry’s covering letter indicates that it covers the islands.

The licensed offer that does exist is land-based: casinos on Bonaire and Sint Eustatius and lotteries on all three islands.

Position of players

The sources describe duties and offences for those who offer gambling, not for those who play. The criminal provision identified, as reproduced by a secondary source, addresses a person who offers hazard games without a licence. The BES gambling laws described above do not appear to penalise players, but that is not the same as confirming that no rule exists elsewhere in the criminal law.

The practical position is as follows. Lawful gambling on the islands is the licensed land-based offer described above. Online gambling is not licensed, and the report states that Dutch online operators may not offer their sites there. Players who use unlicensed sites do so without the protections that attach to a local licence. This is general information, not legal advice; anyone in doubt should ask the island government or take independent advice.

Minimum age. The BES hazard-game and lottery laws do not appear to set a minimum age for gambling. The 2026 survey used 18 as its cut-off for respondents, but that is a survey design choice and not a legal limit. The legal minimum age on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba is an open question.

Taxation

Operators

The gaming-licence levy (speelvergunningsrecht) is owed to the island body that granted the licence. Under the levy law, it is charged per financial year on the gross amount of receipts arising from the licence, at a tariff set by island ordinance. Unpaid receipts count in the gross amount, and refunds follow island rules. Directors and representatives on the islands are jointly liable for a legal person’s levy.

Official sources do not state the tariffs. For Sint Eustatius, the casino and betting ordinance on playing rights (AB 2020 no. 58, reported as adopted in December 2020) is not available in an official source, and for Bonaire no current ordinance setting the rate is available. Operators’ wider tax treatment under the BES tax system is not established.

For lotteries the Loterijwet BES sets a permit levy of 10% of the total value of the tickets for lotteries that need consent from the Bestuurscollege. The BES Reporter article says a Sint Eustatius ordinance requires lottery offices to pay 10% of their total lottery sales. That figure matches the national rule, but the report is secondary and unverified.

Players

Official sources do not state how player winnings are treated under the BES tax system, so it is not established whether they are taxed. Anyone with a significant win should ask the tax authorities or a qualified adviser.

Consumer protection and responsible gambling

The 2026 report says that the specific Dutch rules on gambling advertising and on duty of care (zorgplicht) apply to European Netherlands but do not apply one-to-one to the BES islands. The untargeted-advertising ban in force since July 2023, the Regeling speellimieten en bewuster speelgedrag (Rsbs) that took effect on 1 October 2024, and the reformed Beleidsregel verantwoord spelen are described by the report as measures for European Netherlands only.

Beyond that, official sources say little about consumer protection on the islands. Licences are conditional: the Bestuurscollege may attach conditions and safeguards, and a holder who breaches them is treated as unlicensed. No official source describes a self-exclusion scheme, a helpline or advertising limits specific to the BES. The Dutch government has said that its 2025 gambling vision also applies to the Caribbean Netherlands, and further work is under way (see below). See also our responsible gambling guide for general information.

Anti-money laundering

According to the Dutch central bank DNB, it supervises casinos in the Caribbean Netherlands under the Wwft BES, the anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing act for the BES. The DNB page is undated, so the following is a paraphrase: casinos must carry out customer due diligence on occasional transactions from USD 3,000 and must report unusual transactions. The reporting route to the financial intelligence unit, FIU-Nederland, is not verified, and the tax authority’s AML role for BES casinos was not confirmed.

Island differences

Bonaire

Bonaire has the largest reported offer: two licensed casinos with slot machines, roulette and poker/blackjack, and a local number lottery, Wega di Number Bonaire, where stakes are placed on combinations of two, three or four digits through several outlets. Casino operators need a licence from the Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire. The island’s decree on bingo and bon kun’e is still listed as in force. The current casino levy tariff is not established.

Sint Eustatius

Sint Eustatius has one licensed casino with slot machines and three lottery licences, each with one sales point. Trade press reports island ordinances adopted in December 2020 on lotteries and on playing rights (AB 2020 nos. 54 and 58); their content is not verified. The casino levy tariff is not established.

Saba

Saba has the smallest formal offer: one lottery licence with one sales point. The report lists no casino on the island.

Recent and upcoming developments

• 14 February 2025: gambling vision. The State Secretary of Justice and Security published a new gambling vision, covering the evaluation of the Dutch remote gambling act. The State Secretary has said that the vision also applies to the Caribbean Netherlands, which is why the 2026 monitoring covered residents of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius for the first time. It is filed under Kamerstuk 24 557.
• 12 June 2026: progress letter. The government issued a progress letter on gambling with outline measures (Kamerstuk 24 557 nr. 282), made available on 16 June 2026. Its content on the BES is not verified.
• 22 and 29 October 2026: publications. In a covering letter dated 22 October 2026, the ministry said that the WODC participation study for the islands and the Ksa’s online monitoring report would be published on 29 October 2026. The Ksa report was published on that date and concerns the Dutch online market.
• March 2027: study of the offer. The letter says a further study of the gambling offer on the BES islands is due in March 2027. Its outcome is not yet available.
• First quarter of 2027: legal review. The letter says that, within the planned amendment of the remote gambling act, the government will assess with the island public bodies (Openbare Lichamen) what strengthening of the legal framework is needed, and will update the Tweede Kamer in the first quarter of 2027. Nothing is established about the outcome as of 2 November 2026.

Related country guides

• Gambling laws in the Caribbean (regional overview)
• Curaçao gambling guide
• Aruba gambling guide
• Netherlands gambling guide
• Saint Martin gambling guide

Sources and further reading

1. WODC / Ipsos I&O with RE-Quest, Deelname aan kansspelen in Caribisch Nederland: meting 2026, report 2026/177 (September 2026; accessed 2 November 2026).
2. Ministry of Justice and Security, Covering letter on the online gambling monitoring report (autumn 2026) and the 2026 participation survey (22 October 2026; accessed 2 November 2026).
3. Staatsblad 2010, 521: Wet hazardspelen BES I (2010; accessed 2 November 2026).
4. Staatsblad 2010, 522: Wet hazardspelen BES II (2010; accessed 2 November 2026).
5. Staatsblad 2010, 523: Wet speelvergunningsrecht hazardspelen BES (2010; accessed 2 November 2026).
6. Staatsblad 2010, 524: Loterijwet BES (2010; accessed 2 November 2026).
7. Wetten.overheid.nl, Wet hazardspelen BES I, consolidated text (BWBR0028450) (accessed 2 November 2026).
8. Tweede Kamer, Kamerstuk 24 557 nr. 282: Voortgangsbrief kansspelen met contouren maatregelen (2026; accessed 2 November 2026).
9. De Nederlandsche Bank, Supervision of casinos in the Caribbean Netherlands (undated; accessed 2 November 2026).
10. Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire, Eilandsbesluit of 27 June 1977 on the gaming-licence levy (CVDR809) (accessed 2 November 2026).
11. Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire, Besluit bingo en bon kun’e (CVDR869) (accessed 2 November 2026).
12. Inview, Wetboek van Strafrecht BES, artikel 266 (secondary reproduction; accessed 2 November 2026).
13. BES Reporter, St. Eustatius has new lottery ordinance (trade press; accessed 2 November 2026).

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