Netherlands eyes near-total online ad ban in new gambling harm strategy 

On Friday, the Dutch government launched a five-year strategy aimed at reducing gambling-related harm across the country, including a near-total online gambling advertisement ban. 

The agenda followed the release of a letter from the state secretary for justice and security, Claudia van Bruggen, setting out the government’s plans to heavily clamp down on consumer protection across online gambling.

The Netherlands’ three-party coalition government hinted at plans for a total ban on gambling advertising in its coalition agreement released in February. At the time it compared the activity to sex work in the country.  

One of the core priorities outlined in the plan, released as a “multi-year agenda” on Friday afternoon, was a possible ban or restriction on high-risk games and features that encourage excessive play.

The 16-page letter also said the secretary of state was exploring the possibility of reducing the number of online licences available in the Netherlands to offer “extra protection”.

“I have drawn up the multi-year agenda for protection against gambling damage to protect people. Preventing gambling damage requires a broad approach involving a long-term commitment to more preventive measures,” van Bruggen wrote.

“This sets out strategic goals for achieving a reduction in gambling loss in the Netherlands
and the efforts required for this in the coming years. The principles and goals of the new vision on gambling, as well as the multi-year protection agenda, concern the entire gambling policy.”

Dutch gambling reforms also to apply to land-based

These policies would also apply to land-based gambling, van Bruggen warned, as recent research had shown a number of land-based offerings were “high-risk”.

Reforms, she noted, were based on data from the KSA’s April 2026 report, which showed that measures like deposit limits, imposed in October 2024, had reduced problematic gambling behaviour.

“My focus lies primarily on legislation to improve protection in online gambling,
particularly for vulnerable groups such as young adults. A firm approach to the illegal supply and participation is necessary, because illegal gambling offers no protection and the risk of gambling-related harm is therefore much greater,” the secretary of state added.

No increased gambling age for online slots

As part of its new plans to fight the black market, the government said it plans to empower the KSA with additional enforcement tools, including the ability to coordinate efforts with financial institutions, digital platforms, suppliers and international partners. This will help the regulator to dismantle illegal operators’ infrastructures.

Young people – especially minors and young adults – were once again singled out as particularly vulnerable to gambling harms and black market play.

The government previously discussed increasing the minimum gambling age for “high-risk” products like online slots in the Netherlands to 21, but pushback from the regulator warned it would just push more players to the black market.

This idea has now been scrapped, van Bruggen confirmed in her letter.

“A relatively large number of young adults gamble online, and there is a real risk that a far-reaching measure such as raising the age limit will push young adults towards illegal offerings,” she said.

However she did outline planned measures to incorporate stricter age-verification protocols, targeted prevention programmes and media literacy initiatives aimed at revealing algorithmic and marketing strategies that promote risky behaviours.

Advertisement ban

Within her letter, the politician contemplated banning or restricting high-risk games and features that encouraged excessive play. Additionally, it highlighted scrutiny of artificial intelligence applications within online gambling environments.

Notably, a proposal for a near-complete advertising ban on online gambling, with narrow exceptions to ensure visibility for legal operators only, was included in the letter and the follow-up agenda released via the Dutch parliament’s website on Friday afternoon.  

The government also proposed enforcing a central deposit limit for online gambling, supplemented by an affordability test for bets exceeding this threshold. Reduced limits are expected for younger adults to further restrict financial exposure.

This echoes a similar new regime in Finland, where state-owned operator Veikkaus recently launched its own deposit limits for players under 25.

Funding and pathways

Emphasis will be placed on creating clearer pathways toward care by reducing the stigma around gambling, as well as by improving the visibility of support services and multidisciplinary local responses linking addiction, debt, mental health and social care. Suicide prevention was also underscored as a key clinical priority.

New rules are expected to clarify when gambling licensees must intervene and prescribe effective actions for players. An external expert group will advise on tightening the care duty for online operators, while improvements to the national self‑exclusion register – Cruk – have been planned, including potential expansion to cover illegal gambling sites.

Quantifying gambling harm

Currently, no standard instrument exists to quantify gambling harm.

The agenda quoted a research study that revealed that, in 2025, 69% of Dutch residents aged 16 and over engaged in at least one form of gambling. Half of the 16-17-year-old demographic, below the legal gambling age of 18, also reported having gambled.

The agenda also promoted enhanced data sharing, research into intervention efficacy and specialised training for professionals. The Ministry of Justice and Security (JenV) will oversee the agenda’s implementation in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) and the KSA. 

Funding for the many initiatives will come from the Addiction Prevention Fund, managed by the KSA, which will allocate resources aligned with the roadmap’s priorities.