Yearly Upturn for the Dutch iGaming Market

The Netherlands formally launched its iGaming market to gambling operators on October 1, 2012. Since the launch, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has noticed a yearly rise in player accounts and GGR (gross gaming revenue). The latest KSA findings were unveiled in the fourth Monitoring Report on April 26.

In the report, player accounts increased from 563,000 to 859,000 within six months, marking a 52.6% jump. Also, the GGR rose to €124m in January 2023, signifying a 37.7% growth compared to the €90m GGR reported in January 2022.

According to Rene Jansen, KSA's chair, the report's findings agree with the regulator's beliefs regarding the gambling sector, stressing the importance of having a secure, regulated atmosphere for people to gamble in.

Jansen declared:

"This fourth monitoring report shows a growth in the market for online games of chance, as we previously predicted. This is a development that requires all of our attention. Providers of games of chance must take up their duty of care firmly and intervene in a timely manner to protect players in order to realise that safe environment."

Results from Additional Research

The detailed report uncovered more details about gambling in the Netherlands, especially among young adults aged 18-23. There were 184,000 accounts for gamblers in this age group, comprising 21% of all active gaming accounts. The average amount young people lost while wagering in 2022 was €54 monthly, significantly lower than €142 for the other gamblers.

In April 2023, the industry saw an impressive rise in the number of players registered with Cruks, the country's self-exclusion program. The total has now reached 38,000, a 65.2% increase compared to September 2022.

The law requires operators to verify that gamers are on Cruks's list during registration. An examination uncovered that verifications hit their highest point in November 2022, where 38 million were recorded. In January 2023, the checks were at 31 million. Around 90% of these verifications were on regulated live gambling sites.

Looming Prohibition on Promotions

The number of gambling adverts rose to 481,000 in January 2023, a 398,000 increase compared to last year. In addition, the report mentioned that gambling adverts had been a source of controversy since the market opened.

Recently, the Dutch government, through the minister of legal protection, Franc Weerwind, announced a ban on public gambling adverts that will commence on July 1, 2023. The new regulations will bar operators from sponsoring TV and radio gambling programs and activities. These operators will also not engage in sports-related deals, including shirt sponsorships.