New Measures Cut Dutch Gambling Losses, KSA Reports

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has published its latest monitoring report, highlighting the positive outcomes of new responsible gaming policies introduced in October 2024. According to the report, players are losing less money, and the percentage of extreme losses has sharply decreased. At the same time, the legal gambling market remains dominant among players, although spending in the illegal sector has grown significantly.

Player Protection Measures Show Tangible Impact

The gross gaming result (GSR)—calculated as stakes minus payouts—reached €1.47 billion for 2024, marking a 6% rise compared to 2023. However, a noticeable 10% decline was recorded in the second half of 2024 compared to the first half. The KSA attributes this to both a peak during the European Football Championship and the enactment of stricter player protection rules, including mandatory deposit limits.

Notably, the data reveal a major shift in player behavior after the introduction of the new rules. Before October 2024, around 4% of player accounts lost over €1,000 monthly, generating 73% of operators’ GSR. After the new policies took effect, only 1.2% of accounts experienced losses of that scale, contributing just 23% to the GSR. This indicates that operators now rely significantly less on players facing substantial losses.

Young adults between 18 and 23 years old, a group classified as vulnerable under Dutch law, receive special attention in the report. Although they represent just 9% of the adult population, they accounted for 11% of total gambling losses in the second half of 2024. On average, young adults lost €48 monthly, far lower than the €148 lost by players aged 24 and above.

Interestingly, younger players showed a higher preference for sports betting: 29% of their gambling expenditures went to sports events, compared to 22% for older players. Despite their higher representation in gambling losses, young adults tend to gamble with smaller sums.

Stable Player Numbers Amid Rise in New Accounts

The number of active gambling accounts averaged 1.19 million per month in the second half of 2024, an increase from 1.1 million in the preceding six months. A surge in new account creations coincided with the implementation of responsible gaming measures. However, since players often maintain multiple accounts, the number of accounts does not directly reflect the number of individuals gambling.

Based on the KSA’s estimates, around 788,000 individuals gambled with licensed operators during the final six months of 2024, representing 5.4% of the adult population—a figure consistent with the 5.5% reported earlier that year.

Illegal Market Sees Growth Despite High Legal Participation

The latest findings show that 91% of Dutch online gamblers continue to use legal platforms. However, a newly adopted estimation method revealed that 50% of the total money spent on gambling now flows to illegal providers. This marks a sharp contrast to previous estimates suggesting 87% channelization to the legal market.

The illegal market’s financial footprint has expanded since the second half of 2023, now roughly matching the size of the legal sector. While most players remain with licensed operators, the volume of money moving through illegal gambling channels has grown, prompting authorities to maintain vigilance.

The number of individuals treated for gambling addiction remained at 2,456 in 2023, as no updated figures were available at the time of reporting. Meanwhile, self-exclusion numbers through Cruks (the Dutch gambling exclusion registry) have climbed steadily, reaching 87,345 registrations by January 2025 in the Netherlands. Half of those registered are under 32 years of age, and 16% are young adults aged 18 to 23.

Authorities are also seeing an increase in public engagement with gambling support services. Since the fourth quarter of 2024, consumers can directly contact Loket Kansspel for questions regarding Cruks, leading to a notable rise in help-seeking conversations.

Source:

Monitoringsrapportage voorjaar 2025 toont positief effect beleidsregel verantwoord spelen, kansspelautoriteit.nl, April 14, 2025.