the online gambling market reported a stable gross gaming yield (GGY) of approximately €100 million ($118 million) per month during the latter half of 2025. The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), highlighted these steady figures as indicative of the sector’s maturity post-legalization. This data is significant as it provides insights into the market dynamics and regulatory environment impacting operators and players within the country.
The Dutch online gambling sector saw a total GGY of €602 million ($709 million) from July to December 2025. Key contributors to these figures were online slots, which accounted for 78% of the market’s legal GGY, followed by sports betting at 20%. Peer-to-peer casino games, such as poker and bingo, made up 1.8%, while horse race betting had a marginal share of 0.2%. Notably, the market concentration among the top three licensed operators declined to a 30%-40% range by December 2025, a drop from 40%-50% in mid-2025 and 45%-55% at the end of 2024. This shift suggests increasing competition, potentially due to player migration to the unlicensed market.
As of the end of 2025, the KSA recorded 31 licensed entities, 27 of which were operational. The market has seen exits from major operators like LiveScore Group and Flutter’s Tombola in 2024, attributing their departure to regulatory hurdles that pose significant challenges to market participation.
In terms of player activity, there was an average of 1.38 million active accounts monthly in the licensed market, up from 1.29 million in the previous period. The KSA estimates that approximately 810,000 distinct players engaged with licensed platforms over this six-month period, with a monthly active player base of roughly 500,000. This figure reflects a slight decrease from the first half of 2025, which saw about 540,000 players.
Young adults, particularly those aged 18 to 23, have been a focal point in player demographics. They accounted for €61 million of the legal GGY in the second half of 2025, representing 10.2% of the market’s total share. Although this marks a slight decline from 11% in the previous period, it remains higher than their demographic representation within the adult population, which stands at 9.3%. Young adults also held 22% of all active accounts, totaling around 305,000 accounts, with their average monthly loss per account being €34—significantly lower than the overall account average of €73.
The KSA’s investigation into minors’ access to online gambling platforms concluded that current verification systems make it “virtually impossible” for individuals under 18 to register and gamble on licensed sites. Nonetheless, the regulator continues to monitor compliance closely.
Financial losses and player behaviors varied across the market. The average loss per active account saw a slight reduction to €73 monthly, compared to €77 in the first half of the year. However, when accounting for multi-account usage and inactive months, the average loss per active player was €124, up from €117 earlier in the year. Loss distribution remains uneven, with a significant portion of high-loss accounts skewing overall averages. Around 36% of accounts incurred losses between €100 and €1,000 monthly, while 0.6%—approximately 50,000 accounts—faced losses exceeding €1,000. Slot games demonstrated higher player engagement and loss rates, with average hourly losses of €18 and a monthly playtime twice that of other casino games.
The KSA’s estimates on illegal online gambling suggest a slight improvement in player channelling to licensed operators, with 92% compliance. Approximately 480,000 players exclusively used licensed sites monthly, while 20,000 engaged with both licensed and unlicensed sites, and 30,000 frequented only unlicensed platforms. Overall, the online gambling population consisted of around 520,000 monthly players.
Problem gambling remains a concern, with a 10% increase in the number of individuals treated for gambling disorders, amounting to 2,708 during the period. Registrations on the central exclusion register (Cruks) rose to 111,534 by January 2026, and involuntary exclusion requests surged to 442 in the latter half of 2025, up from 161 earlier in the year. These increases are attributed in part to enhanced efforts by operators to comply with regulatory directives.
In response to these challenges, the KSA has allocated funding for five projects aimed at preventing gambling harm. These initiatives focus on expanding peer support networks, developing clinical addiction guidance, integrating prevention into existing social and health programs, and providing support to affected workplaces and families.
Advertising and marketing practices in the sector have been subject to stringent regulations since July 2023. The government prohibited untargeted gambling advertisements to protect minors and vulnerable groups, with offline gambling ads banned from TV and radio. Sponsorship restrictions were implemented gradually through 2024-25. Although online advertising remains permissible, it must target audiences with at least 95% aged 24 or older. Monitoring by Nielsen indicated a 42% reduction in paid online gambling advertisements in the second half of 2025 compared to the first half, with numbers dropping from 129,000 to 75,000 monthly ads.
Interestingly, social media activity by licensed operators on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram has significantly declined, and presence on X (formerly Twitter) is nearly nonexistent due to age-targeting limitations. Despite this, 2.1 million non-players visited licensed gambling websites in the second half of 2025, up from 1.8 million previously, indicating broader engagement with gambling-related content.
In January, discussions within the Netherlands’ new minority government addressed the potential for a complete ban on gambling advertisements, although no additional measures have been implemented to date. The next steps for the Dutch online gambling market involve continued regulatory monitoring, potential legislative changes, and ongoing efforts to ensure both market stability and player protection. The evolution of these factors will likely influence the strategic approaches of operators and the market’s competitive landscape.
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