Annual Report 2025: Protecting Against Gambling Harm in Netherlands

The report also reflects on developments within the gambling market and its supervision thereof. The main focus for 2025 was improving player protection by broadening its perspective. The Ksa not only looks at the sometimes significant financial losses players suffer from gambling, but also at the harm they experience in terms of mental health, relationships, and social contacts. These harmful consequences fall under the term “gambling harm.”

Naturally, the Ksa’s supervisory and enforcement activities are aimed at reducing gambling harm. For legal providers, the Ksa has particularly intensified its oversight of the duty of care. For illegal online providers, the Ksa continues to focus on disrupting the infrastructure they use for their operations. This includes marketing channels, game and software developers, payment service providers, internet providers, and hosting companies. International cooperation with other authorities has become increasingly important in this approach. Illegal providers ignore international borders, which is why the Ksa’s work does not stop at the border.

In 2025, the Ksa also worked on establishing a Player Protection team, which started in January 2026. Through this team, the Ksa supports research and many social initiatives aimed at reducing gambling harm.

Additionally, 2025 saw an important milestone with the launch of the website openovergokken.nl, now the central hub for information about gambling and support for people who want to reduce or stop gambling.

Based on levies in 2025, it can be concluded that the online market shrank by 18.5% over the past year, whereas in 2024 it had grown by 4.9%. Both the Ksa’s policy measures from October 2024 to limit high stakes and the increase in gambling tax from January 2025 contributed to this shift. The lottery and betting sector grew by 4.6%, a slight slowdown compared to 2024 when it grew by 5.8%.