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An evaluation of the Netherlands' online gambling law by the Ministry of Justice and Security concluded many “urgent” changes are needed to better protect consumers from gambling-related harm, including “shielding” vulnerable groups from gambling adverts.
The “Evaluation of the Remote Gambling Act”, researched by the Scientific Research and Data Centre (WODC) from March 2024 to October 2024, was published and presented to lawmakers on November 5, alongside a host of recommendations.
Teun Struycken, the minister for legal protection, said the evaluation highlighted that “there is work to be done” to protect vulnerable people and promised a substantial response before the end of the year.
Many politicians who have been pushing for additional restrictions on the gambling industry also took the opportunity to voice their concerns.
Christian Union member of parliament Mirjam Bikker, who has advocated for stricter rules on gambling, told the state broadcaster (NOS): “Gambling has bad consequences for all young people in the Netherlands. In fact, the gambling industry is the same as the tobacco industry: dangerous and addictive."
Socialist Party member of Parliament Michiel van Nispen said the introduction of online gambling laws was “irresponsible” as it “leads to great social damage".
The evaluation is set to be debated in the House of Representatives at an unconfirmed date.
Eric Konings, the Dutch Online Gambling Association’s (NOGA) acting director, said the fact the law has not achieved its underlying policy objectives is “cause for concern”.
“We will continue to make efforts to arrive at a more responsible supply in dialogue with politicians, government, addiction care and science, Konings said.
However, he added that “the evaluation is incomplete.”
“For example, the effects of the ban on untargeted advertising introduced over a year ago and of the more recent regulation on gambling limits and more conscious gambling behaviour have not been included in the evaluation. The WODC expects that these measures will make the gaming supply safer, and we assume that the responsible minister will also take this into account in the Cabinet's response.”
On October 1, the Netherlands introduced new measures to better protect online gamblers, limiting net deposits to €700 per month, or €300 for those aged up to 24, and gamblers are to get reminders of spending and time limits every 30 minutes of play.
Recommendations deemed the most urgent in the evaluation include prescribing a duty of care “centrally and no longer leave this to the sector”, making player data available for independent research for addiction prevention, as well as “shield vulnerable target groups — more than is currently the case — from advertising, mailings and other promotional activities”.
To address the black market, the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) should “improve the approach to combat illegal supply”.
Additionally, an “important recommendation” is to broaden the law’s objective of preventing gambling addiction to preventing gambling harm.
“The reasoning is that problematic gambling also has other negative consequences than an addiction. The broader focus on gambling-related harm could ensure that all negative consequences of gambling are better identified and can be prevented as much as possible,” the report states.
Researchers' key findings included online gamblers are insufficiently protected against the risk of addiction, the new law has likely attracted many more people to gamble, and especially among vulnerable people “damage will occur as a result of the policy”.
