The Dutch Gaming Authority (Kansspelautoriteit) and the national gambling support organization AGOG jointly released a survey revealing significant gaps in the country's problem gambling prevention and control. Among the 139 respondents, 81% started gambling before the age of 24, and 46% even engaged in gambling before turning 18. Although offline gambling was the starting point for many, online gambling platforms have become the main entry for new gamblers in recent years.
The survey showed that almost all respondents experienced typical problem gambling behaviors such as chasing losses, daily gambling, and betting on multiple platforms, with 75% of people using multiple gambling sites simultaneously. More than half reported personal losses exceeding 50,000 euros, with many also facing financial collapse, breakdown of personal relationships, and deterioration of mental health.
Despite Dutch gambling laws requiring operators to actively intervene in problem gambling, the survey found that 68% of respondents had never received personal care contact from gambling platforms, and 83% had never had their accounts suspended, indicating that the current intervention mechanisms are virtually non-existent.
In response, regulatory authorities are calling for accelerated reforms, promoting stricter cross-platform restrictions, personalized warning mechanisms, and enhanced user education. The Norwegian National Gaming Center also stated that it would use the results of this report to optimize its regulatory framework and improve player protection levels.
Meanwhile, the gambling technology company Kambi also announced the renewal of a multi-year sports betting cooperation agreement with Dutch operator Jacks.nl.
