Netherlands Warns Young People About Gambling: Call to Talk Early

The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has launched two public awareness campaigns to encourage young people to talk about gambling earlier and to make it easier for them to seek help. In a statement on Monday, KSA said the initiatives are aimed at young people and young adults, as well as at parents, relatives and friends who may notice signs of the problem.

The OpenOverGokken campaign, which will start in early November, targets the parents of young people aged roughly 16 to 25. The campaign encourages gambling to be discussed before problems arise, presenting it as a topic to be addressed alongside subjects such as sexuality and online safety. The campaign builds on the OpenOverGokken.nl portal, introduced in 2025, which offers independent information and tools to help parents start the conversation.

The second initiative, presented under the name Gambling Stop (Gokstop), targets young adults who already have a gambling problem or whose risk is increasing. According to the campaign's message, stopping does not have to be a response to a crisis, and the decision can always be made. Family members and friends are asked to notice possible problems and help the person take the first step toward the national self-exclusion and support programme.

The campaigns move away from Gokstop's earlier messages, which focused on life after quitting. Instead, they concentrate on early recognition and accessible help. The regulator notes that young people encounter gambling through social media, online videos, advertising and in-game content. In this context, Meryam Sümer, a local politician from the CDA, called for national action to raise the legal minimum age for online gambling from 18 to 24.

The campaigns come just one week after KSA published its annual and six-month reports. According to the reports, people aged 18 to 23 make up about 22 percent of legal gambling accounts, although this group represents about 9.2 percent of the adult population. The same reports stated that in the first half of 2026, the average monthly loss on accounts held by users aged 18 to 23 was 34 euros. In an earlier survey, KSA also found that accounts belonging to 18-year-old users increased markedly on or just after their birthdays. Between 2024 and 2025, 11 percent of accounts opened by 18-year-olds were recorded on their birthday, and 38 percent within one month.

KSA is expected to publish follow-up data or evaluation findings on the campaigns' impact. Possible measures include changes in public awareness, use of OpenOverGokken.nl, and Gokstop registrations.