Dutch national lottery raises concerns over illegal gambling

A study suggests that players who gamble illegally are doing so more often and with larger amounts.

The Netherlands.- The Dutch state-controlled national lottery Nederlandse Loterij has raised concerns about unlicensed gambling in the Netherlands after research it commissioned from Verinorm showed that players who gamble illegally are doing so more often and with larger amounts. More than half of these players also had gambling problems, according to the study of 15,000 people.

By far the largest group of illegal gamblers – 60 per cent – ​​are aged 18 to 34, many of whom started as minors on illegal gambling sites. The research team led by Marjan Olfers and Anton van Wijk found that the largest group of illegal gamblers bet between €10 and €50 but that the majority now gamble with amounts exceeding €50.

Dutch lottery CEO Arjan Blok said: “The results of this study are alarming: increased participation in illegal gambling, more than half of these players have gambling problems, and a significant group started using illegal gambling sites at a young age. It makes it clear once again that the back door to illegal gambling must be closed. Because our calculations show that 200,000 players gamble illegally online, without any protection,” Blok said.

“It’s up to the government to closely monitor the effect of measures on channelization, such as increasing gambling taxes and introducing limits. And we must work together – with the Gaming Authority, banks, tech companies like Google and Meta, and hosting services – to combat illegal offerings to truly protect players.”

Earlier this week, Nederlandse Loterij announced that Jet Roos-van Aerssen is stepping down from her position as its chief financial and risk officer (CFRO). Roos-van Aerssen had taken up the position in May 2024, succeeding Blok, when he was promoted as CEO.  The operator is also seeking a new chair after Alexander Pechtold announced his decision to step down from the Supervisory Board from January 2026. 

In May, the Dutch government announced that it had decided not to consider the privatisation of Nederlandse Loterij or land-based casino operator Holland Casino. While the government didn’t rule out privatisation in the future, it said such a move would not be “feasible and proportionate” at the current time.

A study suggests that players who gamble illegally are doing so more often and with larger amounts.

The Netherlands.- The Dutch state-controlled national lottery Nederlandse Loterij has raised concerns about unlicensed gambling in the Netherlands after research it commissioned from Verinorm showed that players who gamble illegally are doing so more often and with larger amounts. More than half of these players also had gambling problems, according to the study of 15,000 people.

By far the largest group of illegal gamblers – 60 per cent – ​​are aged 18 to 34, many of whom started as minors on illegal gambling sites. The research team led by Marjan Olfers and Anton van Wijk found that the largest group of illegal gamblers bet between €10 and €50 but that the majority now gamble with amounts exceeding €50.

Dutch lottery CEO Arjan Blok said: “The results of this study are alarming: increased participation in illegal gambling, more than half of these players have gambling problems, and a significant group started using illegal gambling sites at a young age. It makes it clear once again that the back door to illegal gambling must be closed. Because our calculations show that 200,000 players gamble illegally online, without any protection,” Blok said.

“It’s up to the government to closely monitor the effect of measures on channelization, such as increasing gambling taxes and introducing limits. And we must work together – with the Gaming Authority, banks, tech companies like Google and Meta, and hosting services – to combat illegal offerings to truly protect players.”

Earlier this week, Nederlandse Loterij announced that Jet Roos-van Aerssen is stepping down from her position as its chief financial and risk officer (CFRO). Roos-van Aerssen had taken up the position in May 2024, succeeding Blok, when he was promoted as CEO.  The operator is also seeking a new chair after Alexander Pechtold announced his decision to step down from the Supervisory Board from January 2026. 

In May, the Dutch government announced that it had decided not to consider the privatisation of Nederlandse Loterij or land-based casino operator Holland Casino. While the government didn’t rule out privatisation in the future, it said such a move would not be “feasible and proportionate” at the current time.

https://focusgn.com/dutch-national-lottery-raises-concerns-over-illegal-gambling