Dutch government advances tighter controls on online casino advertising and player spending limits
To help combat gambling addiction and protect consumers from financial harm, stricter regulations have now been introduced by the Dutch Government. New regulations will impact the advertising of online gambling and will set limits on spending, with regulations expected to come into effect by the end of 2026. The Kanspelautoriteit have published data showing that the market is becoming increasingly dominated by the younger demographics. The Dutch Government is trying to enhance gambling regulation by placing increased consumer protections.
New regulations for online gambling in the Netherlands have been announced. Legislators and regulators have been responding to the rise in gambling addiction and financial loss through tighter restrictions on online gambling advertising and restrictions on consumer spending.
The Dutch Government has begun implementing reforms to place restrictions on online gambling, with the primary goal of reducing the harms caused by legal online gambling by placing consumer protections into effect. The Dutch Government has placed restrictions on what it will include in the legal online gambling reforms.
Stricter rules on gambling ads across digital platforms
The restrictions being placed on how gambling operators can advertise their gambling services are becoming increasingly harsh. The Kansspelautoriteit already have an advertising ban on unrestricted and untargeted advertising, and has additional restrictions that are being planned and proposed.
These proposed restrictions are in favor of placing greater controls on the advertising that is placed through the use of social media, the advertising that is being placed through the use of social media influencers, and the advertising that is placed through online video advertisements. Since the prohibition was lifted, gambling operators are spending large amounts of their advertising budgets on this type of advertising, placing large amounts of advertising across all media channels to many of the different platforms.
Kansspelautoriteit data shows that in 2023, almost 1 in 5 active online gambling accounts belonged to people aged 18 to 23. This group is particularly targeted for addiction interventions due to a higher chance of problematic gambling. It is argued by regulators that due to increased targeting and gambling advertising, young people are gambling more and more, and that regulations should be placed because of this.
Especially during this time, promotional schemes notably play a role in gambling. There are various Dutch no deposit casino sites that give bonuses and/or free spins just for signing up. These schemes remove financing as an impediment that is usually there for new users and are often more targeted at new and first-time users. Playing on these promotional schemes is legal, but it is something that is considered when starting initial more expensive purchases, which leads to a problematic more expensive gambling.
New limits on player spending and deposit caps
The proposed reforms include deposit caps. It is proposed that there be a limit to how much can be put on the accounts in the span of the month to be placed on all licensed gambling platforms, as the concern is that users are circumventing the spending limit by switching platforms.
New data from the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security shows that online gambling accounts during the span of 2022 to 2024 lost on average 10 per cent more money. More money is potentially being lost on an expanding market, and as the market expands, this potentially shows the need for more occupant regulations to be placed. proposed regulations are to give a limit on spending, but to be placed on the gambling services.
More affordability checks are likely on the horizon. Players hoping to cross certain limits may have to show their income. The UK has a similar system after its regulators introduced financial risk assessments to combat over-gambling. The Dutch government is considering how it can incorporate similar systems.
Greater protections for young and vulnerable users
Policymakers are more concerned with the younger demographics. This has prompted overseas gambling studies to see who is more likely to engage with gambling. The Dutch Research Council for Safety has stated that most younger demographics (18-24) engage with high-risk gambling and over-gambling.
To combat this, the regulators are thinking of stricter verification of identities as well as monitoring user activity. This would allow companies to address behavior. Account interventions would include temporary lockouts or a set-in-stone revised period.
Authorities are also considering the protection of vulnerable demographics. This is to combat issues that arise with Ad targeting of gambling systems to a person's activity and/or interests. Restricting Ad targeting is predicted to cause reduced gambling in vulnerable demographics. This means gambling companies would be more restricted in accessing user data.
Tighter compliance requirements for licensed operators
If this framework is adopted, licensed operators can expect harsher compliance requirements. The Kansspelautoriteit's enforcement activity has become increasingly rigorous, having doled out over €29 million in fines for legal violations in 2024 alone, including illegal advertisements, publishing violations, and a lack of a duty of care.
Under the proposed changes, operators will be required to bring their transparency and responsible gambling tools up to date. This encompasses communicating, monitoring gambling activities and providing tools for self-exclusion.
The gambling community advocates for gambling and control changes that do not push operators to use them. Kansspelautoriteit estimates in 2023 revealed that 10 + % of the Netherlands' 2023 gambling population used illegal operators. Unlicensed gambling remains afloat while the control and changes for responsible gambling push for more regulated systems.