Dutch online GGR falls following introduction of monthly deposit limits ...and more!

Netherlands Gambling Authority fines operator €734,000 over duty of care failings

The Netherlands Gambling Authority has fined a licensed operator a record €734,000 after an investigation found serious failings in the operator's implementation of its duty of care obligations.

After receiving reports of high losses among players aged 18-23, the Dutch regulator launched an investigation in 2023, which included the unnamed operator.

As part of its investigation, the regulator reviewed ten specific player files. In all ten cases, the players aged 18-23 were found to have lost large amounts of money without the operator intervening or verifying whether the players were able to afford their losses.

In its defense, the operator argued that high losses were not, by itself, a legally specified indicator of problematic gambling behavior at the time that the alleged violations occurred.

The operator was granted a preliminary injunction forbidding the regulator to disclose its identity until after the currently ongoing appeals proceedings have concluded.

Dutch Lower House votes in investigate impact of increasing minimum age for high-risk games of chance

On Tuesday, the Dutch Lower House voted on several motions that were submitted during last week's debate on gambling policy.

As mentioned in our previous newsletter, most of the submitted motions are aspirational rather than specific, i.e., requesting the government's consideration rather than demanding concrete action.

However, two of the motions that were supported by a Lower House majority may have a more immediate impact.

First, the government is now requested to investigate whether its proposed increase of the minimum age for high-risk games of chance could ultimately be counterproductive.

Second, a Lower House majority has requested the government to draw up concrete plans to combat online illegal gambling offers and to share these plans with Parliament before October 1, 2025.

Unibet's Q1 revenues down 41% in the Netherlands

FDJ, owner of the Unibet brand, reports that first-quarter revenues in the Netherlands declined by 41% compared to the same period in the previous year – even though the number of active players increased by approximately 10%.

According to FDJ, the disappointing results are mainly caused by “new regulation that has severely limited net monthly deposits since 1 October 2024.” The operator further points to an increase in the gambling tax rate in the Netherlands and unfavorable outcomes in the sports betting market.

Dutch court orders Betsson to repay player losses

The District Court of Rotterdam has ordered Betsson to repay €385,378 (excluding interest) to a customer who lost the amount on unregulated sites run by the operator.

The claimant won a default judgement as Betsson failed to mount a defense.  

Upcoming events

Gaming in Holland Conference

As always, the Gaming in Holland Conference returns to Amsterdam this summer. The 2025 edition of his event will take place June 5, 2025, at the KIT Royal Tropical Institute.

This year's speakers include Arjan Blok, CEO of Nederlandse Loterij; Renske Fikkers, Head of Market Supervision at the Netherlands Gambling Authority; Justin Franssen, Partner at Franssen Tolboom Advocaten; and Josh Hodgson, COO of H2 Gambling Capital.

With (online) gambling back on the political agenda, there will be plenty to discuss!

Early bird registration is now open. Don't miss it! Register today: https://bit.ly/GiHC2025.

Dutch Online Casino of the Year Awards

Voting for the Dutch Online Casino of the Year Awards opens May 1, 2025.

The award ceremony takes place during the Gaming in Holland networking drinks, part of the program of the annual Gaming in Holland Conference on June 5, 2025.

GiH Conference visitors are all cordially invited to attend the festivities!

Gaming in Spain Conference

Join us on June 26 in Madrid for the 2025 Gaming in Spain Conference.

The event will feature a keynote speech by Mikel Arana, Director General of Spain's national gambling regulator, DGOJ.

Besides focusing on the Spanish market, the 2025 GiS Conference will also feature several sessions dedicated to the latest developments in the most important LatAm markets.

Early bird registration is now open. Don't miss it! Register today: https://bit.ly/GiSC2025.

Other events

• SBC Summit Malta, the newly rebranded continuation to CasinoBeats Summit, will take place June 10-12, 2025, at the InterContinental in St Julian’s.

• iGB L!ve returns to ExCel London on July 2-3, 2025. Registration is now open!

Dutch online GGR falls following introduction of monthly deposit limits

The Netherlands Gambling Authority has reported a decline in online GGR following the introduction of monthly deposit limits in October 2024.

Although total online GGR increased 6% year-on-year in 2024 to €1.47bn, GGR was 10% lower H2 2024 than in H1.

The number of active accounts grew from 1.1m to 1.19m in H2 2024. The total number of active players is estimated at 788,000, representing 5.4% of the Netherlands’ adult population. However, no more than 162,000 players (and likely far fewer) are active in any given month.

Prior to the introduction of monthly deposit limits, 73% of total GGR was realized from accounts losing more than €1000 per month. After October 2024, only 23% of GGR due to accounts suffering more than €1000 in monthly losses.

Since the market channelization rate in terms of money is currently estimated to be at approximately 50% (compared to 91% in terms of player numbers), it appears highly likely that high-intensity players are switching to illegal alternatives while more moderate, recreational players continue to prefer legal offerings.