Dutch Gambling Regulator Launches Campaigns To Tackle Gambling Harm Among Young Adults

The Netherlands' gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has launched two public awareness campaigns aimed at preventing gambling-related harm among teenagers and young adults, with a particular focus on encouraging earlier conversations and making support more accessible.

Announced on 2 November, the initiatives target young people aged approximately 16 to 25, alongside parents, relatives and friends who may be able to identify warning signs before gambling behaviour develops into a more serious problem. The campaigns seek to make discussions about gambling a routine part of family life while encouraging those already experiencing difficulties to consider seeking help.

The announcement follows the publication of the KSA's latest annual and half-yearly reports, which highlighted the comparatively high participation of young adults in the country's regulated online gambling market. According to the regulator, people aged 18 to 23 account for approximately 22% of legal gambling accounts despite representing just 9.2% of the adult population.

KSA Encourages Parents To Discuss Gambling Risks Earlier

The first campaign, OpenOverGokken, will begin in early November and is primarily aimed at parents and caregivers of teenagers and young adults. It encourages families to discuss gambling before problems emerge, positioning the subject alongside other important conversations about online safety, relationships and potentially harmful digital behaviour.

The initiative builds on OpenOverGokken.nl, an independent information platform introduced in 2025 to provide guidance on gambling risks and practical tools for starting conversations. By targeting parents of children as young as 16, the KSA hopes to improve awareness before young people reach the legal gambling age of 18 and potentially begin using licensed online gambling services.

The regulator has highlighted the various ways younger audiences encounter gambling-related content, including social media, online videos, advertising and gaming environments. These channels can expose teenagers to gambling products and promotional messages before they are legally permitted to participate, making early education and parental awareness an important part of the KSA's prevention strategy.

Gokstop Campaign Promotes Early Intervention And Self-Exclusion

The second initiative, promoted under the Gokstop banner, focuses on young adults who may already be experiencing gambling-related difficulties or showing signs of increased vulnerability. Rather than presenting stopping gambling as a response to a major financial or personal crisis, the campaign emphasises that individuals can seek help or choose to stop at any stage.

The messaging also encourages friends and family members to recognise potential problems and support those considering self-exclusion. Gokstop directs attention towards the Netherlands' national gambling exclusion arrangements, providing a route for individuals to restrict their access to licensed gambling services.

This represents a change from earlier Gokstop messaging, which concentrated more heavily on the benefits of life after gambling had stopped. The latest campaign instead focuses on recognising potential harm sooner, reducing barriers to seeking assistance and presenting the decision to stop gambling as a manageable first step.

Young Adults Account For Disproportionate Share Of Gambling Accounts

The campaigns follow regulatory findings showing that younger adults represent a substantial proportion of online gambling account registrations in the Netherlands. Although people aged 18 to 23 make up approximately 9.2% of the adult population, they account for around 22% of accounts held with licensed gambling operators.

The KSA's figures also showed that accounts used by this age group recorded average monthly losses of €34 during the first half of 2026. While these figures do not establish the prevalence of gambling harm among young adults, they demonstrate the extent of participation within an age group that has attracted particular regulatory attention.

Earlier research also identified a significant concentration of new account registrations around customers' 18th birthdays. During 2024 and 2025, approximately 11% of accounts opened by 18-year-olds were registered on the individual's birthday, while 38% were created within a month of reaching the legal gambling age.

The findings have contributed to wider discussions about whether the Netherlands should introduce additional protections for younger customers. Meryam Sümer, a politician representing the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), has called for the minimum legal age for online gambling to increase from 18 to 24, although no such change has been implemented.

The KSA's latest campaigns concentrate on education, prevention and access to support rather than changes to the legal gambling age. Their effectiveness may be assessed through public awareness, engagement with OpenOverGokken.nl and participation in the national self-exclusion system, although the regulator has not yet published evaluation results.

By addressing gambling risks before young people develop harmful habits, the Dutch regulator is seeking to strengthen its preventative approach while maintaining a focus on those who may already require assistance.