Dutch gambling regulator launches World Cup campaign with Glenn Helder and Noah Zeeuw
The KSA has launched a campaign that aims to raise awareness of sports betting risks among young adults.
The Netherlands.- With the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaching, the Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) is launching a new responsible gambling campaign targeting young adults. With the slogan “Laat je niet zoek spelen” (“Don’t get played”), the campaign highlights risks in sports betting.
The regulator noted that Dutch consumers place more bets during the World Cup and other major sporting events, and that such events hold particularly strong appeal for young adults. It says that this target group “often believes that sports betting does not really fall under gambling”. As such, it’s launching the campaign to alert them to the potential risks.
Devised by FCB Amsterdam, the campaign will run leading up to and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Content will be distributed via social media, including Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.
To kick things off, street art collective Kamp Seedorf created a mural in Amsterdam as an ode to former international Glenn Helder. Helder played for the Dutch national team and was open about his gambling past for years. With his story, he wants to show young people that betting can start small but can have major consequences.
The mural is intended as a tribute to Helder as a footballer and his struggle with a gambling problem. In doing so, he forms the face of a campaign that aims to reach young people in a place where the temptation is great: around football, friends, excitement and the World Cup, the KSA said.
Michel Groothuizen, chairman of the regulator, said: “During major football tournaments, the temptation to place sports bets increases. Young adults, in particular, are susceptible to tension, peer pressure, and overestimating their chances of winning. With this campaign, we do not want to lecture them, but rather show them what the risks are and help them make informed choices.”
Influencer and footballer Noah Zeeuw interviewed Glenn Helder at the mural for a piece posted on social media. In that conversation, both his football past and time with the Dutch national team, as well as his gambling history, are discussed.
Following this kick-off, Noah Zeeuw will create several other pieces of content for the campaign during the World Cup, which he will share via his own social channels. In these, he delves deeper into the risks of placing bets, drawing on personal stories and relatable situations from football culture, among other things.
In addition, the campaign is supplemented with other social and digital campaign assets that direct the target audience to the website LaatJeNietZoekSpelen.nl. There people can test their knowledge about the risks of betting and discover how quickly a bet can influence money, feelings, and behaviour.
Helder said: “Football should be something you enjoy. With betting, you can lose much more than money. I know what it is like to lose yourself, and also how important it is to find yourself again. That is why I say to young people: don’t let yourself get lost in the game.”
Noah Zeeuw added: “Young people might view betting as a minor issue or something that is part of football. But that is precisely why it is important to open up the conversation and talk about the risks. Not with a raised finger, but with real stories and relatable situations.”
Heightened supervision of gambling ads during the World Cup
The KSA has also warned gambling operators that it intends to intensify its supervision of sports betting advertising and promotions during the FIFA World Cup 2026. It has written to all Dutch gambling licence holders to specifically remind them of the applicable rules regarding advertising and betting offers.
In the letter, the KSA points out, among other things, the ban on untargeted advertising introduced in 2023, and the ban on gambling sports sponsorship implemented last year. The KSA also reminded providers that not all types of online sports betting are permitted in the Netherlands; for example, betting on who receives a yellow card or the first corner kick is not allowed. In the event of violations, the KSA intends to take immediate enforcement action.
