Dutch regulator urges parents to address gambling risks

The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has launched two new campaigns aimed at reducing gambling among young people and encouraging parents to talk with their children about the risks of betting. The first campaign, called OpenOverGokken, targets parents of young people aged 16 to 25. The second campaign promotes Gokstop, the face of the national gambling exclusion system. Both campaigns will go live at the beginning of November.

OpenOverGokken points out that young people often encounter gambling content on social media, online videos, advertisements and video games. According to the KSA, parents either are not aware of how much their children are exposed to such content or do not feel equipped to discuss these risks. In the campaign, young people describe how openly their parents discuss topics such as sexuality and personal safety, and ask why gambling is not discussed with the same openness. The campaign was developed by the Noise agency and will be published through online video, social media and visual advertising.

The Gokstop campaign is aimed at people who are experiencing gambling harm or are at high risk. With the slogan "Every moment is a Gokstop moment", it calls on young people to consider excluding themselves before gambling triggers a crisis. The campaign also urges friends and family to help their loved ones. Gokstop links users to Cruks, the country's central exclusion register. Through Cruks, players can exclude themselves from all licensed online betting sites and land-based gaming venues for periods ranging from six months to a permanent ban.

The campaigns follow data published by the KSA last week. According to that data, the Dutch gambling market shrank by 9 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year. The regulated market's gross gaming revenue for the 12 months ending 31 December 2025 came to 4.1 billion euros (4.6 billion dollars). In 2024, that figure was 4.5 billion euros (5 billion dollars).