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Study Reveals 10% of Dutch Adults Gambled Online in 2024

A new study by the Scientific Research and Data Centre (WODC) in the Netherlands has found that 10% of Dutch adults engaged in online gambling in 2024. The findings, released on 29 January, highlight the growing prominence of online betting while also raising concerns over gambling addiction, particularly among younger players.

Online Gambling Gains Ground, But Lotteries Still Dominate

The study revealed that traditional offline gambling remains the most popular form of wagering in the Netherlands. A striking 64% of individuals aged 16 and over participated in some form of gambling in 2024.

  • Lotteries were the most common choice, with 55% of gamblers playing them.
  • Scratchcards attracted 21% of participants, while 7% engaged in bingo.

However, online gambling is making significant inroads. Sports betting was the only category where online participation (4%) exceeded offline (3%), signaling a shift in how people choose to gamble.

Dutch online gambling statistics 2024

Young People Drive Online Gambling Growth

One of the key takeaways from the WODC’s research was the surge in young adults taking up online gambling. Of those who gambled online in 2024, 70% had started after the country legalized online gambling in October 2021.

This trend is particularly concerning for policymakers, as younger gamblers are more susceptible to addiction. The study highlighted some troubling statistics:

  • While only 1% of all Dutch gamblers were classified as high risk, this figure jumped to 18% for young adults gambling online with a personal account.
  • 11% of all online gamblers were deemed high risk, while 10% were classified as moderate risk according to the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI).

Gambling Safeguards Lacking, Leaving Players Unprotected

Despite the increasing number of online gamblers, current protective measures appear to be ineffective. The study found that very few players had been made aware of responsible gambling tools.

  • Only 24% of online gamblers had received pop-up warnings about their gambling behavior.
  • Just 9% had been contacted via chat or email regarding their gambling habits.
  • Self-exclusion tools like Cruks remain underused, with only 4% of online gamblers opting for temporary self-exclusion and just 3% enrolling in an involuntary ban.

The WODC cautioned that too much responsibility is placed on individuals to regulate their own gambling, making young adults especially vulnerable.

Urgent Reforms Needed to Strengthen Regulations

In response to these findings, the WODC has outlined five key recommendations to improve gambling regulation in the Netherlands:

  1. Centralizing responsibility for gambling addiction prevention, rather than leaving it to gambling operators.
  2. Making player data available for independent research, to improve addiction prevention strategies.
  3. Expanding the powers of the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling regulator, to better oversee licensed operators.
  4. Cracking down on illegal gambling operators, increasing restrictions to prevent unlicensed betting sites from attracting Dutch players.
  5. Enhancing protection for vulnerable groups, such as young adults, by tightening advertising regulations and shifting the focus from “preventing gambling addiction” to “preventing gambling harm.”

These recommendations come at a crucial time as more Dutch players migrate to online gambling. With addiction rates higher among young online gamblers, the pressure is mounting for the Dutch government to introduce stricter controls before the problem escalates further.

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