The gambling regulator of the Netherlands, the KSA, reported that illegal gambling operators now hold a larger market share than legal companies. This shift follows the KSA’s introduction of several measures restricting regulated operators. These include limits on sports advertising, higher taxes, and deposit caps.
In its fall gambling monitoring report, the KSA noted that gambling on regulated platforms fell from 51% to 49% of the total share in the first half of the year.
The regulator explained that the downward trend may be due to players moving to illegal sites, where the new player protection rules—seen as restrictive—do not apply.
The KSA added that it sees this as a worrying trend. Players in the illegal market have far less protection. The report also notes that average player losses have dropped. In 2024, losses averaged €146 ($168) per month. This year, they fell to €119 ($137) per month. This is because of the KSA introducing a deposit limit for players in October 2024.
The limit for players aged 18 to 25 has now been reduced to €300. They can no longer deposit more than €700 ($796.25) per month.
Yet, this limit is per account and not per player. Up from 1.18 million in 2024 to 1.29 million in the first half of the year, the report notes that the number of accounts has increased by over 7%.
The KSA admits that a player can have numerous accounts, so the number of accounts doesn’t equal the number of people gambling.
Moreover, the report notes that players are wagering more money on unregulated sites. However, officials cannot determine the exact amount because unlicensed companies do not provide official reports. It raises the question of whether a deposit limit is a useful tool to curb gambling losses.
New regulations require gambling companies to offer users the opportunity to set deposit limits in the United Kingdom. However, users set the limit themselves rather than having an authority impose it.
