In 2025, the Dutch licensed gambling market captured approximately 59% of the total gross gaming yield (BSR), marking a rise from the 54% recorded in the prior year. This information comes from Kansspelautoriteit’s (Ksa) annual report for 2025, along with its semi-annual report for the first half of 2026, released on Thursday.
The regulated online gambling sector in the Netherlands saw a resurgence in the first half of 2026, with BSR increasing by about 11% when compared to the previous six months, according to Ksa. The latest monitoring report, which covers the period between January and June, estimated that licensed operators earned around €670 million ($750 million) in BSR, translating to roughly €110 million monthly.
Casino games, competing against the house, comprised about 73% of the total BSR, equating to €492 million, while sports betting represented roughly 24% of the market at €163 million, an increase from around 20% in the latter half of 2025. Ksa associates the uptick in sports betting and overall revenue with the men's FIFA World Cup, noting that sports wagering exhibited more month-to-month fluctuations than casino gaming. The report also noted a significant rise in new account registrations in June.
During the first half of 2026, 563,000 new gambling accounts were opened, up from 529,000 in the previous six months. However, estimating the size of the unlicensed market remains challenging for Ksa. The regulator has utilized a combination of GfK panel data on participation alongside a Google Ads search-volume method to project revenue generated by illegal sites.
For the first half of 2026, Ksa estimates that around 20,000 individuals engaged exclusively with unlicensed operators each month, with an additional 10,000 utilizing both licensed and unlicensed platforms. Depending on the estimation method, the percentage of players opting for legal gambling providers ranged from 94% to 97%. The low number of players on illegal sites contrasted starkly with their share of revenue, suggesting such players may incur significantly higher losses compared to those gambling through licensed operators.
Ksa notes that these illegal-market estimates carry a degree of uncertainty and the agency is actively refining its measurement techniques.
Although licensed operators reported an average of 1.48 million active accounts monthly—up from 1.38 million in the latter half of 2025—independent data from GfK revealed the overall number of individuals gambling with legal operators remained unchanged. Ksa estimates that approximately 820,000 people gambled with licensed providers at some point during the first half of 2026, with an average monthly figure of around 490,000.
This discrepancy between account numbers and stable player figures suggests that users may be creating multiple accounts, possibly as a response to regulatory shifts like the net deposit limits implemented in October 2024.
Consequently, average monthly losses per account remained largely stable. Licensed operators reported a mean loss of €75 per month in the first half of 2026, while the average loss for accounts held by individuals aged 18 to 23 was €34. In a separate estimate, which considered those using multiple accounts, Ksa projected average losses of €137 per person per month, an increase from €121 in the latter half of 2025.
Young adults are a focal point for Ksa, as individuals aged 18-23 represented about 22% of legal gambling accounts, despite being only around 9.2% of the adult populace. Ksa revealed that among 15,761 new gambling accounts opened between May 1 and May 7, 2026, those aged 18-24 constituted 33%. Notably, 41% of new registrations were made by newly turned 18-year-olds. A marked increase in account registrations was observed around their 18th birthday, with 11% of accounts opened by 18-year-olds being registered on that day and 38% within a month.
The demand for support services sees a steady rise, with 3,108 individuals treated for gambling problems in 2025, reflecting a 14% increase compared to 2024. The national self-exclusion register, known as Cruks, added an average of about 2,076 individuals monthly, bringing the total to approximately 120,200 registrations by July 31, 2026. The report also documented a notable increase in involuntary registrations following operator notifications.
Online advertising by licensed operators saw a reduction of about 33%, dipping from an average of 75,000 placements monthly in the latter half of 2025 to around 50,000 in the first half of 2026. The Dutch government has maintained its crackdown on gambling advertisements throughout the year, having proposed a near-total ban on online gambling marketing in June. The coalition government has drawn comparisons between gambling advertising and sex work, emphasizing its regulatory stance.
Additionally, VNLOK has taken legal action against Meta, alleging that the platform facilitated the widespread reach of illegal gambling advertisements to consumers in the Netherlands. VNLOK claims that over 90% of gambling ads on Facebook are from operators lacking a valid license in the country.
