Online gambling is getting out of hand: New research provides evidence
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29 Jan 2025 •
Reading time: 2 minutes Three years ago, online gambling became legal in the Netherlands. The idea? More control and less addiction. The reality? The number of gamblers has grown enormously and more and more people are getting into trouble.
Vulnerable players in particular fall prey to the temptations of online casinos. This is evident from new research by the Scientific Research and Data Center WODC.
Many more people are gambling online
The number of players has increased considerably since legalization. In 2024, the WODC looked at how many Dutch people gamble online and which games they play. They also investigated how many people exhibit risky gambling behavior.
The figures do not lie: more people are gambling, and it is increasingly going wrong. Care providers are seeing a clear increase in addiction problems.
What needs to change?
The research provides a few important recommendations to improve the situation:
- Gambling companies are no longer allowed to determine for themselves how they fulfill their duty of care. This must be laid down in law.
- Researchers should have access to player data to better understand and prevent addiction.
- The Gaming Authority should be given more power to take action against gambling companies that do not comply with the rules.
- There should be a tougher approach to illegal gambling sites, which still attract many players.
- Advertisements and promotions should be regulated much more strictly, especially for vulnerable groups such as young people.
- Not only addiction should be prevented, but also the broader damage that gambling can cause.
Gambling is everywhere and that is a problem
Online gambling is easily accessible and always available, so mobile use is worrying. A few clicks and you are in a casino without having to leave the house. Advertisements are popping up like mushrooms. These tempt people to take a gamble.
Many players start innocently. Eventually they become seriously addicted. There is a lack of real protection and that is a major problem.
What happens now?
The WODC continues to conduct research into gambling. New studies will follow in 2025, including on playing limits and the risks of various gambling games. There will also be a new study on problematic gambling behavior and a repeat measurement to determine again how many Dutch people gamble.
Download the WODC study (in Dutch) here!