Dutch online gambling accounts rise by 100,000 in first half of year
Licensed online gambling accounts in the Netherlands grew by 100,000 to nearly 1.5 million in the first half of the year, possibly boosted by the FIFA World Cup and deposit limits.Summary
The number of accounts held with licensed online gambling providers in the Netherlands increased by 100,000 to just under 1.5 million in the first half of the year, with a notable rise in June. The Dutch Gambling Authority (Ksa) suggested the FIFA World Cup, which kicked off in June, may have contributed, along with the deposit limit introduced two years ago that may prompt gamblers to open accounts with multiple providers. Monthly gamblers remained stable at around 490,000. Online casinos accounted for 75 percent of players' losses, while sports betting represented 25 percent, up from the second half of last year. Players' losses rose 11 percent to 670 million euros. The illegal gambling market's gains appear to have stalled, with legal providers accounting for 59 percent of total losses, up from 54 percent. The Ksa is pursuing strategies to curb illegal gambling, including fines, taking websites offline, and blocking payments; last week it imposed a record 37 million euro fine on EOD Code SRL, though only 1.5 million euros of over 88 million euros in fines has been collected.
(Source：Nl Times)