The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has released its 2025 annual report, revealing a dramatic shift in the Dutch gambling market as online gaming revenues contracted by 18.5% – a stark reversal from 2024's 4.9% growth rate.
The regulatory authority attributes this market contraction to two key policy interventions: high-stakes betting restrictions implemented in October 2024 and increased gambling taxation that took effect in January 2025. These measures appear to have successfully cooled what had been a steadily expanding online gambling sector.
Expanded Focus on Gambling Harm Prevention
Jaarverslag Kansspelautoriteit 2025 (PDF - 20.49 MB)
The KSA's 2025 strategy centred on broadening its approach to player protection beyond traditional financial loss metrics. The regulator now examines the wider spectrum of gambling-related harm, including mental health impacts and damage to personal relationships and social connections.
For licensed operators, the KSA intensified supervision of duty of care obligations, while continuing its systematic disruption of illegal online gambling infrastructure. This enforcement approach targets the operational foundations of unlicensed providers, including marketing channels, game and software developers, payment service providers, internet providers, and hosting companies.
International cooperation has become increasingly critical to these efforts, as illegal operators routinely disregard jurisdictional boundaries in their business models.
New Player Protection Infrastructure
Factsheet jaarverslag 2025 (PDF - 138.19 kB)
A significant milestone in 2025 was the establishment of a dedicated Player Protection team, which officially commenced operations in January 2025. This unit supports research initiatives and societal programmes designed to reduce gambling harm across the Dutch market.
The authority also launched openovergokken.nl as the centralised information hub for gambling-related resources and support services for individuals seeking to reduce or cease their gambling activities.
Support Resources Available
The KSA's new Player Protection team works alongside existing Dutch support organizations including Jellinek and GGZ Mental Health, which offer specialized gambling addiction counseling services. Additionally, the national gambling helpline (0900-1515) provides 24/7 crisis support in Dutch and English, while self-exclusion tools through CRUKS (Central Register of Exclusion of Chance Games) remain active for up to 6 years.
Market Performance Across Sectors
While online gambling declined sharply, the lotteries and betting sector demonstrated continued growth at 4.6%, though this represented a slight deceleration from 2024's 5.8% expansion rate. These figures, derived from 2025 levy collections, provide the clearest indication of market dynamics across different gambling verticals.
Regulatory Strategy Implications
The KSA's dual-pronged approach – tightening controls on licensed operators while systematically dismantling illegal gambling infrastructure – appears to have achieved its intended market correction. The 18.5% online market contraction represents one of the most significant gambling market adjustments seen in a major European jurisdiction. For operators, these results underscore the effectiveness of coordinated regulatory intervention combining stake restrictions, taxation policy, and enhanced compliance oversight. The establishment of dedicated player protection resources signals the KSA's commitment to maintaining this intensified approach into 2026.
According to KSA.
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