The Dutch online gambling market has grown since its legalization on October 1, 2021, with an increase in the gross gaming result (BSR) and number of player accounts.
According to the fourth Monitoring Report on online games of chance released by the Gaming Authority (KSA), 92% of players only use legal websites, exceeding the objective of at least 8 out of 10 players playing with legal providers in a safe environment with guarantees in addiction prevention. The report shows that 98% of new players who had not played before the market opened are now playing only with legal providers.
The KSA expects a trend growth of 13-15% per year, with the BSR amounting to €124 million (£110 million/$137 million) in January 2023 compared to €90 million in January 2022. The Dutch had a total of 859,000 active accounts with legal providers in January 2023, with 365,000 players gambling per month. On average, players lost €143 per month per account from August 2022 to January 2023, a decrease from €153 in the previous period.
The Monitoring Report also specifically looked at young adults, who played with an average of 183,000 accounts in January 2023, with about 2.6 accounts per player. Although young adults play more than older players, their average loss per account is much lower than the average loss at €54 per month, indicating that young adult players lose less money every month on gambling than average players.
To promote responsible gambling, players can register in the Central Register Exclusion of Games of Chance (Cruks) to exclude themselves for at least six months from participating in high-risk games of chance. The number of registrations in Cruks has steadily increased, with almost 40,000 people registered in April 2023.
As of July 1, there will be a total ban on untargeted advertising for online games of chance, including radio and TV commercials and street billboards. Although spending on television advertisements has increased since the market opened, the number of television advertisements is falling while online advertisements have increased sharply. Advertising on the internet and television on demand will only be allowed under strict conditions.
