Reforms: what Dutch gamblers really think

As the Netherlands embarks on a decisive period of reform of its gambling rules, a series of studies recently submitted to parliament highlights contrasting perceptions, changing behaviours and persistent challenges. 

A renewed government approach

In December 2025, Arno Rutte submitted four reports to the Dutch parliament in support of a wide-ranging gambling reform project that is being debated across the country. The reports address participation in gambling, the introduction of compulsory limits for players, the impact of advertising and the quality of research on the sector. 

Rutte took charge of this dossier after the resignation of former minister Teun Struycken, who had promised a new law on gambling by the end of 2025, aimed in particular at stricter supervision of marketing and a possible increase in the minimum age for certain forms of online gambling.

Gamblers in favour of limits, but with reservations

One of the main thrusts of these studies concerns public support for mandatory limits on gambling. Among the 1,507 respondents surveyed, support for such limits has risen from 76% to 82% in two years. 

However, when it comes to sharing personal financial information to determine deposit limits (a mechanism known as means-based limits), 42% of participants expressed privacy concerns. Some players refused to share details of their savings or debts. 

Despite this reluctance, 55% of those surveyed acknowledged that controlling their finances could, in principle, help prevent problematic behaviour. 

Gamblers’ actual behaviour and perceptions

The study also shows that more and more players chose to set voluntary limits in 2024, and that a majority of them kept these parameters unchanged throughout the year. However, only 40% believe that monetary limits help them spend less, while 30% believe that time restrictions actually reduce their playing time. 

One notable point is that 64% of players say they are in control of their gambling behaviour and do not feel the need for imposed limits, a proportion that is up on the previous year. This confidence varies greatly according to the profile of the gamblers: high-risk gamblers are less certain of controlling their habits than those judged to have no problems. 

The report also notes that interaction with platforms – for example, via pop-up messages – is increasing, but that most players do not find these interventions very useful. Only 10% of respondents said they had been contacted by an operator or asked to provide financial information as part of these measures.

One of the studies presented to parliament looked at the Dutch population’s general perception of gambling. According to the results, 69% of people aged 16 and over had gambled at least once in the previous year. The lottery remains the most common form of gambling, but participation in online gambling has increased, particularly among young people.

This last point is particularly revealing: among 16-17 year-olds, the proportion claiming to have gambled online has risen from 12% to 20%. This raises questions for legislators, since the legal age for online gambling in the Netherlands is 18. Researchers see this as a possible use of other people’s accounts or access to unauthorised sites.

At the same time, a quarter of the players questioned do not know whether the sites they use have a valid licence, which highlights a certain confusion surrounding the legality of gambling platforms. This situation could favour illegal operators, who offer no guarantee of protection for players.

Advertising, awareness-raising and reality on the ground

The third study deals with the impact of advertising on gambling behaviour. Despite the general ban on gambling advertising in the main media, a significant number of people surveyed said that they still see advertisements in their daily newspapers.

Many gamblers do not believe that these messages directly encourage them to gamble, but those who are already involved in risky practices seem to be more sensitive to this content. Bonuses and promotional benefits also continue to attract players’ attention, reinforcing the appeal of gambling despite the restrictions.

Warnings displayed in advertisements are considered to be inconspicuous or ineffective by the majority of respondents, which raises the question of how these messages should be designed to really reach and alert the public.

Research methods in need of review

Finally, the fourth report raises concerns about the very method of data collection used in these studies. The researchers denounce the legal, technical and organisational obstacles that limit access to coherent and comparable information.

At present, operators are only required to provide certain data when requested, and this information is presented in a non-harmonised way, making an overall analysis difficult. In addition, constraints such as the European Data Protection Regulation (RGPD) complicate the creation of databases that can be used for comparative work.

To address these shortcomings, the authors recommend, among other things, better cooperation with the national gaming regulator (Kansspelautoriteit), the creation of a decentralised technical platform for secure data sharing, and the appointment of a central intermediary to facilitate these exchanges.