Illegal Gambling Overtakes Legal Market In The Netherlands

FOR nan first clip since nan legalisation of gambling successful nan Netherlands successful 2021, much money was spent connected forbidden gambling markets than successful nan ineligible ones, according to nan Dutch gambling authority, KSA. The gambling authority reported successful its biannual study that nan number of gamblers utilizing ineligible Web sites roseate somewhat to 839,000, but nan gamblers’ mixed losses fell by 14 per cent to €600 million, resulting successful an mean nonaccomplishment per subordinate of €119.

More than half of each gambling money goes to forbidden sites

According to nan KSA, nan estimated size of nan forbidden gambling marketplace was €617 million, compared to nan ineligible market’s worth of €600 million. “This downward inclination whitethorn beryllium explained by players shifting towards forbidden websites pursuing nan preamble of caller rules,” nan KSA said. “That is worrying because players connected nan forbidden circuit are little good protected.”

The KSA estimates that 53 per cent of each money spent connected gambling successful nan Netherlands goes to forbidden sites. However, only a mini group is responsible for a ample portion of forbidden gambling income, arsenic nan KSA’s study shows that 94 per cent of gamblers instrumentality to ineligible companies.

The Netherlands’ cosmopolitan gambling spike, successful each property ranges

During nan first six months of nan year, nan KSA recovered that location were 1.29 cardinal progressive gambling accounts, a spike from six months earlier, which showed 1.18 cardinal accounts. Young adults, aged 18 to 24, held 23 per cent of nan accounts utilized successful nan first half of nan year, a number that is “relatively high,” according to KSA. However, it should beryllium noted that gamblers tin person aggregate accounts, truthful nan numbers are not an meticulous practice of nan number of progressive gamblers successful nan country.

The KSA besides recovered that young adults tended to prosecute much successful sports betting, whereas older gamblers opted for slot instrumentality gambling games.

In total, 5.7 per cent of each adults successful nan state were recovered to prosecute successful gambling pinch ineligible providers successful nan first six months of 2025, a spike from 5.4 per cent successful nan 2nd half of 2024.

Dutch authorities scrambles to stymie gambling

The government’s measures to protect gamblers against addictions are having varying levels of success. In August of this year, nan authorities of nan Netherlands imposed a gambling taxation hike that pushed players to opt for forbidden gambling outlets, which don’t enforce strict restrictions, alternatively than discourage them from gambling altogether. Not only this, nan authorities knowledgeable a melodramatic nonaccomplishment successful which nan gross gambling gross of nan state dropped by a whopping 25 per cent during nan first six months of nan year.

In summation to nan taxation hike, which is group to summation again successful 2026, nan Dutch furniture has besides raised nan minimum property for high-risk games to 21 years of property (from 18 years of age), and imposed limits connected really overmuch group tin bet connected each tract they visit. Advertising for gambling has besides been group nether patient restrictions, and players who consciousness they are becoming addicted tin motion up to beryllium banned from playing connected ineligible sites; thing much than 100,000 Dutch citizens person already done. These measures, according to nan KSA, did win successful lowering nan mean nonaccomplishment per player, from €146.

In total, location are 27 different gambling companies that clasp licenses to run successful nan Netherlands.

The Dutch gambling fever that can’t beryllium sweated out

Legal online gambling was primitively introduced successful nan state successful 2021, intended to service arsenic a thief statement for gambling addicts. The reasoning was that a regulated gambling marketplace would assistance group who were addicted to gambling illegally connected overseas Web sites. However, a bid of reports person demonstrated that nan legislature had nan other effects, starring to a spike successful debts and gambling addictions.

Read much news from nan Netherlands here.