Dutch gambling regulator reports positive results from player loss limits
The KSA says rules introduced last year have reduced the number of high losses.
The Netherlands.- The Dutch player gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has reported positive findings in its latest impact assessment on the new player loss limits imposed for online gambling since October 1 2024. The KSA says its second study into the effects of the move shows a sustained decrease in the number of high losses. It also claims that the channelisation to legal gambling operators did not fall significantly as a result.
Drawn up by former legal protections minister Franc Weerwind, the rules imposed default monthly player loss limits of €350, and €150 for under 24s. While players can request a higher loss limit, the regulator noted that operators are obliged to inform them of the dangers when they do so.
It says that the introduction of this mandatory contact moment has caused the number of players who set a high deposit limit to drop to less than 50 per cent.
The regulator says the limits on net deposits were also effective. When depositing more than €300 (for those aged 18-24) or €700 (24 and older), the provider checks whether a player can afford that amount and if this is not the case or the check is not carried out, the operator must block deposits for the rest of the month.
According to the KSA, the percentage of over 24s who deposit more than the deposit limits has decreased from 9.7 per cent to 2.2 per cent. In its previous report, the number was 3.8 per cent. For younger players, the percentage decreased from 12 to 1.9 per cent (2.8 per cent in the previous report).
The lower deposit limits were found to have reduced the average loss per player account by 31 per cent, from an average of €116 per month in the eight months before the introduction to €80 per month in the eight months after the introduction. The KSA said the number of accounts that an average player holds remains largely unchanged at 2.4. As such, there is no evidence that players have started playing with more providers in order to be able to spend more money across the board, at least not with licensed operators.
The KSA noted that the gross gaming result (stake minus prizes paid out) of legal providers had decreased by 8 per cent compared to a year earlier. Before the introduction of the rules, approximately 4 per cent of players lost more than €1,000, while not only now that figure is only 1 per cent. For the KSA, this shows that the introduction of the policy rules ensures that excessive gambling occurs less with legal providers.
The regulator recognised that there is a chance that heavy players may now play with illegal providers. It claims that channelling remains high in terms of players, with an estimated 93 per cent of players only using licensed operators. However, the KSA has not yet calculated channelling in terms of money, which it says was not included in this report due to technical reasons.
The search volume of the top 100 illegal websites does show an increase, which could indicate a growth of the illegal market. The regulator expects to publish figures on channelisation by money later this month in an impact assessment on the increase in Dutch gambling tax.
