Dutch research body says gambling regulation contributes to addiction

The regulation of online gambling in the Netherlands was meant to be a deterrent against the black market and operators that target Dutch citizens without the necessary license.

Dutch research body says more needs to be done to address gambling harm

According to WODC, or the Scientific Research and Documentation Centre, as the establishment is known to the English-speaking world, the introduction of the Remote Gambling Act (KOA) and its subsequent enforcement in 2021, has significantly contributed to the levels of addiction.

Those worst impacted are the young, argues WODC, and the organization further notes that the safeguards that KOA expects licensed operators to apply are "inadequate." The legalization of online gambling has led to many new people getting involved with the activity, with many young adults also running the risk of developing an addiction.

The currently available safeguards are not proportionate to the task at hand. WODC argues that the current measures operate in a way that expects well-informed players to make the right decisions.

Although a solid approach in principle, WODC insists that there is enough research to show that players are usually not well aware of the risks associated with addiction, nor do they fully grasp their own gambling behavior.

"For example, players are required to set limits in advance on how much time and money they can or want to spend on a gambling site," says WODC in a statement, but the issue here comes from the fact that players have to set up these limits separately. Once a player changes websites, they are no longer bound by those restrictions any longer.

The WODC also sighted data from the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), which is the country’s regulatory agency for the gambling industry, arguing that the KSA too found an issue with the way the duty of care – that is to ensure that players are not gambling excessively – is implemented by licensed companies.

Online gambling legalization popularized the activity

The legislation of online gambling has made it possible for many people to play as well, with 7 out of 10 online gamblers confirming that they started after the activity became legal in the country. The WODC also mentions the fact that the KSA has limited clout against illegal providers of games of chance.

Although the KSA has issued some eye-watering penalties, and certain operators have responded by fighting back against those penalties, the regulator is restricted to its home country and can hardly take active measures to shutter operators that operate from overseas.

The WODC sees a way to move forward, however, and it urges to make player data available for independent research so that better addiction prevention measures can be established. Similarly, the duty of care should be centralized and not left to the sector independently.

The KSA should also receive more tools to monitor licensed websites, and there should be a stronger response to the illegal gambling sites that operate in the country.

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