It appears as though the legal market for online gambling in the Netherlands has cooled a bit since opening in October 2021, according to a report from Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) advising that the number of gambling accounts in the northwestern European country is plateauing while revenue growth is shrinking. The market is, according to experts of CasinoScout.nl, continuing to meet expectations.

According to the government agency responsible for the supervision and regulation of gambling services in the Netherlands, the legal market for internet-based gambling has improved in the past six months, it has done so at a decidedly slower rate than expected when comparisons are made to previously measured periods.

The data contained within the KSA’s fifth monitoring report (pdf) on online gambling showed an 8 percent increase in gross gambling revenue (GGR) from January to August 2023. This is compared to the 33 percent growth in revenue reported between August 2022 and January 2023. This leveling off, said KSA chairman René Jansen, means the “market is developing as expected.”

“The continued growth ensures increasing responsibility among providers,” Jansen said. “The KSA continues to strictly monitor that Dutch players can gamble in a safe market, with sufficient attention to addiction prevention and insight into possible problematic gaming behaviour.”

Dutch licensed operators amassed GGR totaling €1.33bn (£1.15bn/ $1.40bn) during the period August 2022 to July 2023. The report published by the KSA and analyzed by CasinoScout.nl relayed that the ban on most forms of gambling ads implemented by the Netherlands’ government on July 1st this year is expected to cause a dip in revenue due to fewer players being drawn to online offerings.

Growth in number of accounts

Also outlined in the report was a bit of a decline in the number of active accounts players in the country gambled with there. The total number of accounts falling by 33,000 in just six months, going from 859,000 in January to 826,000 in July. However, since multiple accounts are often used by consumers, this is not a representation of the total number of players. The gambling regulator estimated that during the period from February to July, 676,000 Dutch bettors gambled, with 417,000 partaking per month.

The percentage of consumers who played on legal websites was 93 percent, a nominal 1 percent increase compared to the previous reports published by the KSA, while the rate at which new users gambled on only legal offerings was 98 percent. The goal was for 80 percent of consumers to be channeled to legal offerings; an objective that has thus far been met.

CasinoScout.nl: “More new operators expected in 2024”

As stated, the legal online gambling market in the Netherlands officially opened on October 1, 2021 courtesy of the Remote Gambling Act (KOA Act). Since then, the sector has enjoyed strong growth, with the number of licensees issued going from the initial 10, which were revealed by the KSA on September 29, 2021, to 27 including the popular Leo Vegas which was granted a new five-year license in July this year after having been active in the Netherlands prior to the country regulating its online gambling market.

According to CasinoScout.nl in 2024 several new operators will enter the market. Land based operator Hommerson will make its debut on the online market, meanwhile JOI 2 Limited is still waiting to launch their new online casino. Also, several brands of Rootz Limited are lining up to launch their Dutch version in 2024.