The Netherlands: survey suggests limited interest in igaming
The Netherlands’ Remote Gambling Act comes into force today (April 1), but a new survey suggests little public awareness or interest in igaming.
The Netherlands.- As the Dutch Remote Gambling Act comes into force today, paving the way for the launch of a regulated igaming market on October 1, a new survey suggests little interest among the public.
The survey commissioned by the Netherlands Online Gaming Association (NOGA) found that 49 per cent of respondents had heard of online gambling but didn’t know much about it.
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Meanwhile, 5 per cent had not heard of online gambling, and 31 per cent said they were familiar with igaming but did not participate.
Only 5 per cent said they gambled online regularly, while 10 per cent said they had gambled online at some time but did not do so often.
Two-thirds of respondents said they knew nothing about the Netherlands’ new Remote Gambling Act, which comes into force today after many delays.
Only 12 per cent of respondents said they were “well aware of” the act’s existence, while 23 per cent said they had heard something about it.
Even among the 108 respondents who said they gambled, only 59 per cent said they were aware of the changes happening on the Dutch igaming market.
Little interest in igaming
The survey of 1,004 people conducted online by Ipsos suggested there would be little increase in online gaming after the launch of the regulated market on October 1.
Only 2 per cent of respondents expressed interest in starting to play, although the figure reached 6 per cent among younger people.
Among existing online gamblers, 59 per cent said they believed it was important to play with licensed operators, while 9 per cent said it was not important and 32 per cent had no opinion.
Respondents to the survey appeared to support the Dutch Remote Gambling Act’s rules on advertising, with 71 per cent saying that online gambling ads should only be placed after 9pm.
In an interview with Focus Gaming News, René Jansen, chairman of the Dutch gambling regulator, said the he expected Holland to see €800m in annual gross gambling revenue by 2024.
