Licensed Betting Share Rises in the Netherlands as Risks Persist Among Young People

According to data from the Dutch regulator KSA, licensed operators took about 59 percent of total gross gaming revenue in 2025. That share was 54 percent in 2024. In the first half of 2026, the number of active accounts increased. At one point it exceeded 500,000, and the monthly average was about 490,000.

The regulator said the rise in accounts was not reflected in the number of players. This suggests that players are using more than one account and may be linked to the net deposit limits introduced in October 2024. The average monthly loss per account was recorded at 75 euros. However, when people using multiple accounts and those who play intermittently were taken into account, the monthly loss per person rose to 137 euros. In the second half of 2025, that figure was 121 euros.

Young adults are disproportionately present in the licensed market. People aged 18 to 23 make up about 9.2 percent of the adult population but about 22 percent of licensed accounts. In the first week of May 2026, 33 percent of the 15,761 new accounts opened belonged to people aged 18 to 24.

Demand for addiction support services also increased. In 2025, 3,108 people received specialized treatment for gambling problems. This represents a 14 percent increase compared with the previous year. As of 31 July 2026, about 120,200 people were registered in Cruks, the national self-exclusion register.

On the other hand, operators' advertising activity fell by about 33 percent. The monthly average number of advertising placements dropped from 75,000 to around 50,000. In June, the government proposed an almost complete ban on online betting advertising.