Cookie Policy – Windmill Slots

Introduction

Windmill Slots is a premium social casino that offers entertainment exclusively to users aged 18 and over in the Netherlands and beyond. We do not operate real-money gambling: virtual coins and tokens on our platform have no monetary value and cannot be redeemed, withdrawn, or transferred. Because we want to be a transparent and responsible entertainment platform, this document clearly informs you about the cookies that we and our carefully selected partners place or read.

This cookie policy supplements our privacy policy and our terms of use. Where this document refers to personal data, we refer you to the privacy policy for a complete overview of your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Dutch GDPR Implementation Act (UAVG).

By continuing to use our website after you have seen our cookie banner, you give consent—or, depending on the type of cookie, rely on the necessary operation of our platform. You can change your preferences at any time through your browser settings or by contacting us. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically, as we may update it when our services, legislation, or technology change.

1. What Cookies Are

Definition and operation

Cookies are small text files that a website places on your computer, tablet, or smartphone when you visit a page. These files typically contain a unique identifier, an expiration date, and sometimes additional information about your interaction with the website. When you visit the same website again later, the server can read the cookie file and thereby recognize certain preferences or session data.

In addition to traditional HTTP cookies, we—where necessary and with your consent—also use similar technologies such as local storage, session storage, pixels (web beacons), tags, and SDKs in embedded content. In this cookie policy, we use the word "cookie" as an umbrella term for all these technologies unless we explicitly distinguish between them. The purpose remains the same: enabling a functional website, improving the user experience, and—with your consent—measuring and optimizing our social casino offering.

First-party and third-party

First-party cookies are placed by Windmill Slots itself (windmillslots.com) and are directly connected to the operation of our social casino. Third-party cookies are placed by external providers whose services are embedded on our pages, for example analytical tools or content delivery networks. We enter into processor agreements with such parties where legally required and limit data exchange to what is strictly necessary for the described purpose.

Session cookies and persistent cookies

Session cookies are temporary and are automatically deleted when you close your browser. They are essential for, among other things, maintaining your active session while you play a free casino game or navigate our pages. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a predetermined period unless you delete them earlier. These cookies remember, for example, your language preference or your previous cookie choice so that you do not have to see a banner on every visit.

Why we use cookies

On a modern social casino platform, cookies are indispensable for basic functionality: without certain cookies, we cannot guarantee stable game sessions, remember preferences, or gain insight into how our free casino games perform. We never use cookies to process real money—that is not possible on Windmill Slots—but we do use them to provide a safe, enjoyable, and responsible fun casino experience for our Dutch and international users.

2. Essential Cookies

Purpose and legal basis

Essential cookies—also called strictly necessary cookies—are unavoidable for the correct functioning of windmillslots.com. Without these cookies, you cannot use the website reliably: pages may not load fully, games may not start, or security checks may fail. No separate consent is required for this category under the European ePrivacy Directive and the Dutch Telecommunications Act, because they are necessary for the service you have explicitly requested.

The legal basis for placing essential cookies is the performance of a contract (providing access to our social casino) and our legitimate interest in safeguarding the security and integrity of our platform. We do not place tracking or advertising cookies under the label "essential"; only cookies that are objectively necessary for operation and security fall into this category.

Concrete examples

On Windmill Slots, the following essential cookies may be used:

Session identification: maintains your active connection to the server while you navigate or load a game;
Load balancing: distributes traffic across servers so our free casino remains stable during peak load;
Security tokens: protect against cross-site request forgery (CSRF) and other attacks;
Cookie preference: stores your choice from the cookie banner so we respect your decision;
Age verification indicator: remembers that you have accepted the 18+ confirmation within a session.

Consequences of disabling

If you block essential cookies through your browser, parts of our social casino may no longer be accessible. Games may not load, virtual coins may not display correctly, or your session may end unexpectedly. We therefore advise setting exceptions for windmillslots.com only for non-essential categories, not for the strictly necessary cookies that form the basis of our platform.

3. Performance Cookies

Purpose of performance cookies

Performance cookies collect anonymized or pseudonymized information about how visitors use our website, with the primary goal of improving technical performance. Think of page load times, error rates when starting games, response times of our servers, and the effectiveness of our content delivery network. This data helps us understand where users experience delays or where games do not function optimally on certain devices.

Unlike analytics cookies, which focus on behavior and trends over the longer term, performance cookies focus on the immediate technical health of the platform. We use this information to optimize our social casino for Dutch users who often play on mobile, and to quickly identify and resolve compatibility issues with specific browsers or operating systems.

What data is collected

Performance cookies typically do not record directly identifiable personal data. Typical data points include: page URL, time of request, load duration, device and browser type, screen resolution, error codes, and network latency. This data is analyzed in aggregate and is not used to build individual user profiles for commercial purposes.

Consent and management

For performance cookies that are not strictly necessary, we ask for your consent via our cookie banner or a similar preference center. You can refuse or delete performance cookies at any time without the core functionality of our free casino being completely lost, although we will then have less insight into technical bottlenecks. See section 8 on browser settings for practical steps to manage these cookies.

4. Analytics Cookies

Purpose and approach

Analytics cookies enable us to understand how visitors discover windmillslots.com, which free casino games are popular, how long users stay on the platform, and through which navigation paths they reach our content. These insights are of great importance for a social casino that continuously wants to improve: we want to know which fun casino titles are played most, where users drop off, and which information pages—such as responsible play or this cookie policy—are consulted most often.

We strive to configure analytics tools so that IP addresses are anonymized, data is not shared with advertising networks for targeting, and retention periods remain limited. Where possible, we use European servers or standard contractual clauses to regulate international transfers, as further described in our privacy policy.

Tools and partners used

Depending on our technical configuration, we may—always with appropriate safeguards—use common web analytics platforms. These parties process data on our behalf and may not use it for their own commercial purposes outside the agreed scope. We periodically evaluate whether the chosen analytics solution still aligns with our privacy-by-design principles and the expectations of our Dutch users.

Your choices

Analytics cookies are placed only after you have given consent, unless a tool is configured in such a way that it is fully privacy-friendly and legally exempt. You can withdraw your consent by deleting cookies, adjusting your browser settings, or contacting our support team. Please note that withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

5. Functional Cookies

Purpose and examples

Functional cookies enable enhanced features and personalization that are not strictly necessary for the basic operation of the website, but do contribute to a more comfortable social casino experience. They remember, for example, whether you have already watched a certain introduction video, which game you last opened, or whether you prefer the compact or expanded leaderboard view.

Other functional applications on Windmill Slots may include: saving your volume setting in games, remembering an avatar or display name you have chosen within the platform, and showing relevant platform notifications without repeatedly showing them after you have dismissed them. All these features are aimed at entertainment and convenience—not financial transactions, because our platform does not process real money.

No financial data

Although functional cookies may support your game progress and virtual coin balance during a session or between visits, this data is used exclusively within the context of our fictional currency system. Virtual coins have no value in euros or other currencies, and functional cookies never store bank details, payment card numbers, or other financial identifiers—such data simply does not apply on Windmill Slots.

Consent

For functional cookies that go beyond strictly necessary operation, we ask for your consent. If you refuse these cookies, the platform remains usable, but you may need to set some preferences again on each visit. We respect your choice and store it in an essential cookie preference cookie so we do not ignore your decision again.

6. Preference Cookies

Purpose and scope

Preference cookies—sometimes referred to as personalization cookies—store your explicit choices regarding how windmillslots.com is displayed and adapted to your wishes. This includes, among other things, language preference (English as the default for our primary audience), region or time zone settings, accessibility options such as reduced animations, and your preference for receiving certain types of platform notifications.

These cookies help us provide a consistent fun casino experience without you having to navigate settings menus on every visit. They differ from functional cookies in that they focus on general interface preferences rather than game-related functionality, although the boundary can sometimes be fluid in practice.

Retention period

Preference cookies typically have a retention period of several months up to a maximum of twelve months, depending on the type of preference. After expiry, they are automatically deleted unless you visit the website again and your preferences are recorded anew. You can also manually clear cookies through your browser; in that case, your saved preferences are reset to the default values of our social casino.

Your control

You decide whether to accept preference cookies. Refusal does not affect your ability to play free casino games, but it may mean that the website does not automatically display in your preferred language or that accessibility settings are not saved. We recommend accepting preference cookies if you visit Windmill Slots regularly and want a personalized experience.

7. Marketing Cookies

Purpose and context

Marketing cookies are used to measure the effectiveness of our communication and acquisition campaigns and—only with your explicit consent—to show you relevant information about Windmill Slots on our own website or on partner platforms. Because Windmill Slots is a social casino without real money, we never promote "winnings," "payouts," or "gambling with real money." Our marketing focuses on free entertainment, virtual rewards, and responsible play enjoyment for adults.

Marketing cookies may, for example, record whether you arrived on our website via a specific campaign link so we can assess which channels are effective in reaching interested players. They may also be used to limit repeated display of the same banner on our site so you do not see the same promotional message on every page visit.

Ethical boundaries

We do not target minors or persons who have excluded themselves from promotional communication. Marketing cookies are never used to encourage real-money gambling behavior, because such services fall outside our offering. Campaigns comply with the guidelines of regulators and advertising platforms for social casinos and entertainment content, including Google Ads requirements for transparency and responsible advertising.

Consent and withdrawal

Marketing cookies are placed only after you have actively given consent via our cookie banner or a detailed preference panel. Without this consent, no marketing or remarketing pixels are activated. You can withdraw your consent at any time; we will then no longer place new marketing cookies and will no longer read existing cookies for this purpose, subject to legal retention obligations.

8. Browser Settings

Managing cookies by browser

All modern web browsers offer options to view, block, or delete cookies. The exact steps vary by browser and version, but you will usually find the settings under "Privacy," "Security," or "History." Below are general guidelines for the most commonly used browsers among Dutch users:

Google Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data;
Mozilla Firefox: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and site data;
Microsoft Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and stored data;
Apple Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data;
Opera: Settings > Advanced > Privacy and security > Cookies.

Consequences of blocking all cookies

If you block all cookies, including essential cookies, windmillslots.com may not function correctly. Games may not load, your cookie preference may not be saved, and security features may fail. We advise a nuanced approach: block or delete cookies from third parties and marketing partners if you wish, but allow first-party session cookies for a working experience on our social casino.

Do Not Track and similar signals

Some browsers send a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal or support Global Privacy Control (GPC). Where technically feasible and legally required, we respect such signals in combination with your cookie preferences. Please note that not all browsers and parties interpret these signals uniformly; manually managing cookies through your browser or our banner remains the most reliable method.

Mobile devices

On smartphones and tablets, you can often manage cookies through the browser settings of Chrome, Safari, or another installed browser. In addition, iOS and Android offer system-level privacy settings that limit ad tracking. These settings are supplementary to—and not identical to—our website cookies, but they can affect the operation of certain marketing or analytics tools.

9. Third Parties

Categories of third parties

Windmill Slots may enable third-party services that place their own cookies when you visit our website. This mainly concerns: hosting and infrastructure providers, content delivery networks (CDN), security services to protect against abuse, analytics service providers, and—with your consent—marketing or advertising partners. Each third party has its own privacy and cookie policy; we recommend consulting these documents for detailed information about their processing.

We select partners carefully and contractually require them to process data only in accordance with our instructions, the GDPR, and this cookie policy. Third parties may not use data collected via cookies for purposes outside the scope of our agreement, such as selling personal data to unrelated advertising networks.

Embedded games and content

Our free casino games are sometimes delivered via embedded iframes or external game modules. These modules may place additional cookies that are necessary for rendering graphics, saving game progress, or measuring load times. Where possible, we minimize the use of third-party cookies in games and indicate in our game overviews when a title loads external components. Essential game cookies fall under the operation of the entertainment you have chosen and do not require separate marketing consent.

External links

Our website contains links to external resources, such as BeGambleAware.org and GamCare.org.uk, for information about responsible play. When you click such links, you leave windmillslots.com and the cookie policy and privacy practices of the relevant external website apply. We are not responsible for the cookie behavior of websites outside our control.

10. Retention Period

General principles

Cookies are not stored longer than necessary for the purpose for which they were placed. The retention period varies by category and by individual cookie. Session cookies expire automatically when you close the browser. Persistent cookies have a preset maximum lifespan, ranging from several hours up to a maximum of two years, depending on the function and legal requirements.

We periodically evaluate whether the set retention periods remain proportionate. When we shorten the retention period of a cookie, the new term applies to cookies placed from that moment onward; existing cookies on your device expire on their original expiration date unless you delete them earlier.

Overview by category

For guidance, we apply the following maximum retention periods unless a shorter term is technically or legally required:

Essential cookies: session duration up to a maximum of 12 months (for cookie preference);
Performance cookies: typically 6 to 12 months;
Analytics cookies: typically 14 to 26 months, depending on tool configuration;
Functional cookies: typically 3 to 12 months;
Preference cookies: typically 6 to 12 months;
Marketing cookies: typically 30 days to 12 months, depending on the campaign.

Manual deletion

You can manually delete cookies at any time through your browser settings, regardless of the set retention period. After deletion, it will be determined again on your next visit which cookies are placed, depending on your preferences and the functionality you use on our social casino platform.

Our consent procedure

On your first visit to windmillslots.com, we show a cookie banner informing you about our use of cookies and giving you the option to accept all non-essential cookies or close the banner without extensive tracking. We apply an active, informed, and specific consent standard: you must perform a clear action—such as clicking "Accept"—before non-necessary cookies are placed.

Your consent is recorded in an essential cookie preference cookie so we respect your choice on subsequent visits. This cookie contains no sensitive personal data, only an indication of your decision and a timestamp. If you clear your cookies, this preference cookie is also deleted and the banner may appear again on your next visit.

Withdrawing consent

You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal. You can withdraw consent by: (a) deleting cookies through your browser; (b) blocking non-essential cookies in your browser settings; or (c) contacting us at support@windmillslots.com with a request to reset your cookie preferences.

Link to privacy rights

Cookie data may in certain cases be considered personal data when it can lead to an identifiable natural person. In that case, you have the rights described in our privacy policy, including the right of access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, objection, and data portability where applicable. For questions about exercising these rights, you can contact Centro Armonia S via the contact details in section 13.

12. Changes

When we update this policy

We may change this cookie policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, cookie practices, technology, legislation, or guidelines from regulators. Significant changes—for example, the introduction of a new category of cookies or a new third party performing extensive tracking—will be communicated appropriately, for example via an updated banner, a notice on the homepage, or an email if you are registered with us and have accepted marketing communication.

Current version

The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when this document was last materially revised. We advise you to consult this page regularly, especially when you have not visited our social casino for an extended period. The most recent version is always available at https://windmillslots.com/cookie-policy/.

Consequences for existing preferences

If a change affects cookies for which you previously gave consent, we may ask for your consent again before the changed cookies are placed. Changes that relate exclusively to essential cookies or to clarifications without material impact on your privacy do not require new consent, but are recorded in this document.

13. Contact Details

Contact us

Do you have questions, comments, or requests regarding this cookie policy or our use of cookies and similar technologies? Please feel free to contact our team. We aim to respond to privacy- and cookie-related requests within a reasonable period—typically within 30 days.

Centro Armonia S (operator of Windmill Slots)
Herengracht 124
1015 BT Amsterdam, Netherlands
Email: support@windmillslots.com

Complaints to the supervisory authority

If you believe we have not adequately handled your cookie or privacy request, you have the right to file a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, AP), the Dutch supervisory authority for data protection. However, we ask you to contact us first so we can address your concerns directly. More information is available on the AP website.

Windmill Slots Cookie Policy