Netherlands gambling market shrinks amid more regulation
The Netherlands’ regulated gambling market contracted by approximately nine per cent in 2025, with online casino and sports betting operators experiencing substantial revenue declines following tighter player protection measures.
The 2025 Annual Market Scan published by the Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) on October 29 show total gross gambling revenue falling from an inflation-adjusted €4.5 billion in 2024 to €4.1 billion.
Online gambling revenue declined 21% to approximately €1.2 billion, with online casino revenue falling 18.2% to €923.4 million.
Sports betting experienced an even sharper decline, dropping 30.2% to €251.2 million.
The regulator attributed the contraction partly to net deposit limits introduced in October 2024, alongside the impact of the European football championship on the previous year’s betting figures.
The Netherlands also increased its gambling tax rate from 30.5% to 34.2% in January 2025.
Despite the revenue decline, the regulator’s latest monitoring report showed signs of recovery during the first half of 2026, with licensed online gambling revenue increasing 11% to approximately €670 million compared with the preceding six months.
However, illegal gambling remains a significant concern.
The KSA estimates licensed operators captured approximately 59% of online gambling revenue during the first half of 2026, despite between 94% and 97% of players using regulated websites.
The figures suggest customers gambling with illegal operators are losing substantially more money on average than those using licensed platforms.
