Dutch online gambling market shrinks by 18% while illegal offers grow
The Dutch online gambling market contracted by 18.5% in 2025, while reports of illegal gambling offerings increased by 34%.Summary
The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) reported a significant 18.5% decrease in the online gambling market in 2025, attributing this decline to policy measures implemented in October 2024, including limits on high stakes and increased gambling taxes. Simultaneously, reports of illegal gambling offerings surged by 34% to 2,005, signaling growth in the illicit market. In response, the KSA initiated a project to disrupt the infrastructure supporting illegal providers. The authority levied €8.6 million in fines against legal providers and €31.2 million against illegal ones. Online gambling has been legal in the Netherlands since October 2021, requiring companies to obtain a KSA license. Despite the majority (94%) of gamblers using licensed sites, the KSA’s semi-annual monitor indicated that more money is wagered illegally than legally, with approximately 53% of all gambling occurring in the unregulated market.
(Source：Nl Times)