SBC News

Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has reported a positive effect on responsible gambling as a result of the Netherlands’ revised policies.

In the regulator’s Spring 2025 monitoring report, the KSA revealed that measures introduced in October to protect players have seen fewer players lose large amounts and the percentage of extreme losses have fallen ‘sharply’.

Looking at Dutch gambling across 2024, gross gaming result (GSR) – stakes minus prizes paid out – came in at €1.47bn, showing a growth of 6% compared to 2023 (€1.39bn).

GSR was 10% lower in H1 2024 compared to H2, which was attributed to the UEFA European Football Championship in June.

Due to being considered a vulnerable group by the KSA, 18-23 year olds received extra attention in the monitoring report. The report found that this age group loses less money on average to over 24 year olds, with €48 per month lost compared to €148.

The latter figure shows a decreasing average of losses per month for ove..

Techno Offshore Ltd, an igaming provider, has been fined €1.2m by Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) for illegally targeting the Dutch market.

According to the gambling authority, the company made its services available to Dutch consumers via two of its domains – nolimitbet.com and simplecasino.com.

The KSA found no comprehensive measures in place to obstruct the access to these websites, including “no visible age checks” at registration. What’s more, games on offer had autoplay and turboplay options.

With automatic bets enabled, players remove the need to wager manually after every spin. These functions have been outright banned by the KSA, as it views them as facilitators of risky gambling behaviours. Just recently, the regulator contacted all licensed Dutch operators to remind them of their duty to keep autoplay switched off.

Michel Groothuizen, Chairperson of the KSA, commented: “Providers in the Netherlands must comply with all kinds of rules to protect the player from gambling addictio..

Ygam has introduced a Gaming and Esports Programme to its portfolio of harm prevention initiatives, with a specific focus on helping the younger generation.

The launch aims to educate and support young gamers, their parents and carers, as well as professionals working in the gaming and esports industry.

Sacha Kent, Programme Lead for Gaming and Esports, commented: “It’s vital we recognise the central role gaming plays in the digital lives that children lead today. This new programme marks an important step in helping young people enjoy gaming safely, with the knowledge and tools to better understand potential risks and harms.

“Through our work with parents, young people, and professionals across sectors, we know there is a real demand for this kind of education. We’re incredibly proud and excited to begin delivering it to communities across the country.”

Addressing a growing issue

In the last five years, the global esports market has experienced dramatic growth, and recent studie..

Companies based in Curaçao and skin betting firms are responsible for the bulk of unlicensed gaming activity in Sweden, according to the country’s gambling regulator.

The Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA), has published a report outlining the extent of black market activity targeting Sweden. The report is in part based on a survey conducted last year.

According to the SGA, Sweden’s channelling rate – the number of people betting via legal, licenced gaming firms – stands at 86%, though the regulator estimates that only a small number of Swedes actually bet with unlicensed sites.

“It is a relatively small group of players, probably fewer than five percent of the total number of players, who demand games that do not have a Swedish gaming license,” an SGA statement read.

Sweden’s tough adjustment
Sweden re-regulated its betting sector in 2019, ending a long-existing monopoly held by Svenska Spel. This state-owned company continues to trade in the market, going up a..

Casino.nl has published its second annual “Duty of Care Report”, providing an independent view of the mandatory and voluntary protections offered by legal online gambling operators licensed in the Netherlands.

The study monitored 25 licensed operators for six months (October-to-March 2025) with the aim to provide an “objective evaluation of responsible gambling practices in the Dutch market”.

As the Netherlands leading casino player community, Casino.nl views a legal which sector shows “large variations in protective measures despite widespread basic compliance.”

Rules on duty-of-care and compliance standards are set by the Remote Gambling Act (KOA) the underlining regulatory framework which launched the Netherlands online gambling marketplace in 2021. As stands, KOA sets the framework for online gambling in the Netherlands through requirements for addiction prevention and responsible behaviour promotion alongside risk intervention.

Research observed the 37 legal requirements toget..

Gamban has begun a collaboration with the Professional Footballers’ Association of Northern Ireland (PFA NI) to help footballers who suffer from betting-related harms.

To do so, Gamban – a software tool designed to block access to gambling websites and apps across multiple devices – will provide PFA NI members with access to its technology free of charge.

Melissa Etherington, Partnerships Executive at Gamban, highlighted that gambling addiction is a growing issue in football, which impacts mental health, finances, and a player’s performance on the pitch.

She explained: “It also has the potential to impact sports integrity. We are delighted to partner with PFA NI to raise awareness of Gamban among those most at risk from harms related to online gambling.”

In offering the service, the organisations aim to help protect professional players from the risks of gambling addiction and give them the tools they need to take control of their well-being.

On and off the pitch

Gamban was foun..

Gamban has begun a collaboration with the Professional Footballers’ Association of Northern Ireland (PFA NI) to help footballers who suffer from betting-related harms.

To do so, Gamban – a software tool designed to block access to gambling websites and apps across multiple devices – will provide PFA NI members with access to its technology free of charge.

Melissa Etherington, Partnerships Executive at Gamban, highlighted that gambling addiction is a growing issue in football, which impacts mental health, finances, and a player’s performance on the pitch.

She explained: “It also has the potential to impact sports integrity. We are delighted to partner with PFA NI to raise awareness of Gamban among those most at risk from harms related to online gambling.”

In offering the service, the organisations aim to help protect professional players from the risks of gambling addiction and give them the tools they need to take control of their well-being.

On and off the pitch

Gamban was foun..