The KSA has recognised that new controls led to a rise in players using unlicensed gambling sites.

The Netherlands.- The Dutch gambling provider trade body VNLOK has expressed concern over the growth of black market gambling in the Netherlands after figures provided in the spring 2025 report from the national regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). The latest data suggests that channelisation rate to licensed offerings was just 50 per cent in the second half of 2024.

The KSA’s monitoring report highlighted the impact of the new Dutch gambling deposit limits introduced in October. The Default limits are €700 for over 25s and €300 for players aged 18 to 25. Players can request higher limits but need to provide proof of sufficient income.

The KSA reports that fewer players are losing significant amounts of money, with examples of extreme losses dropping sharply. Under 23s lost an average of just €48 per month, while over 24s lost an average of €148 in H2, down from €160 in the first half. The number of accounts with losses over €1,000 fell from 4 per cent before October 2024 to 1.2 per cent.  

However, the deposit limits also had other effects. The number of active accounts rose from 1.1m to 1.19m as players moved to open multiple accounts. And despite that, licensed gambling revenue actually declined.

For the full year, gross gambling revenue hit €1.47bn, an increase of 6 per cent year-on-year. However, revenue in the second half was 10 per cent lower than in the first. That may be partly due to the UEFA European Football Championship in June, but there’s a fear that more revenue was lost to unlicensed operators.

Although 91 per cent of gamblers are believed to have used licensed operators, the report estimates that 50 per cent of spending on gambling went to unlicensed operators. The KSA itself has recognised that high-value players are probably moving towards illegal platforms.

The KSA said: “The introduction of the policy rules has led to a reduction in excessive gambling at legal providers. There is a great chance that heavy players have switched to illegal providers, while recreational players almost all continue to play at legal providers.”

VNLOK said the report highlighted “both positive and worrying developments”. Chair Helma Lodders said: “The fact that the turnover of the illegal market is growing so fast means that players who wager a lot of money are more likely to operate outside the regulated offering. That is worrying, because these players are more at risk of gambling problems.”

“The figures indicate that this group has partly switched to illegal supply,” Lodders added. “This shifts the problem instead of solving it. Monitoring and enforcement must therefore move along with the behaviour of players.”