Netherlands eyes approach-entire online ad ban in fresh playing hurt approach 

On Friday, the Dutch authorities launched a 5-one year approach aimed at reducing playing-linked hurt at some stage in the nation, including a approach-entire online playing commercial ban.

The agenda adopted the release of a letter from the mumble secretary for justice and security, Claudia van Bruggen, taking off the authorities’s plans to intently clamp down on user protection at some stage in online playing.

The Netherlands’ three-occasion coalition authorities hinted at plans for a entire ban on playing promoting in its coalition agreement released in February. At the time it in comparison the exercise to intercourse work in the nation.

Most likely the most core priorities outlined in the figuring out, released as a “multi-one year agenda” on Friday afternoon, changed into a that that you just might per chance maybe per chance also imagine ban or restriction on high-chance video games and facets that lend a hand rude play.

The 16-net page letter additionally mentioned the secretary of mumble changed into exploring the skill of reducing the different of online licences on hand in the Netherlands to supply “extra protection”.

“I even contain drawn up the multi-one year agenda for defense against playing hurt to guard other folks. Stopping playing hurt requires a worthy device piquant a protracted-time duration dedication to more preventive measures,” van Bruggen wrote.

“This sets out strategic dreams for achieving an excellent deal in playing loss in the Netherlands
and the efforts required for this in the impending years. The solutions and dreams of the fresh imaginative and prescient on playing, to boot to the multi-one year protection agenda, field the entire playing policy.”

Dutch playing reforms additionally to spend to land-basically based totally

These insurance policies would additionally apply to land-basically based totally playing, van Bruggen warned, as fresh be taught had proven a different of land-basically based totally choices were “high-chance”.

Reforms, she successfully-known, were per files from the KSA’s April 2026 file, which confirmed that measures like deposit limits, imposed in October 2024, had diminished problematic playing behaviour.

“My point of curiosity lies totally on regulations to enhance protection in online playing,
in particular for susceptible teams reminiscent of younger adults. A firm technique to the unlawful supply and participation is well-known, this skill that of unlawful playing provides no protection and the chance of playing-linked hurt is therefore worthy better,” the secretary of mumble added.

No elevated playing age for online slots

As a part of its fresh plans to fight the unlit market, the authorities mentioned it plans to empower the KSA with extra enforcement instruments, including the flexibility to coordinate efforts with financial institutions, digital platforms, suppliers and world companions. This could per chance reduction the regulator to dismantle unlawful operators’ infrastructures.

Teenagers – especially minors and younger adults – were all over once more singled out as in particular liable to playing harms and unlit market play.

The authorities beforehand mentioned increasing the minimal playing age for “high-chance” products like online slots in the Netherlands to 21, however pushback from the regulator warned it might per chance maybe most likely per chance unbiased push more avid gamers to the unlit market.

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

“A rather immense different of younger adults gamble online, and there might per chance be a proper chance that a far-reaching measure reminiscent of elevating the age limit will push younger adults against unlawful choices,” she mentioned.

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

Advertisement ban

Inside of her letter, the politician contemplated banning or restricting high-chance video games and facets that encouraged rude play. Moreover, it highlighted scrutiny of synthetic intelligence functions interior online playing environments.

Seriously, a proposal for a approach-total promoting ban on online playing, with narrow exceptions to be obvious visibility for lawful operators excellent, changed into included in the letter and the apply-up agenda released by the Dutch parliament’s net pages on Friday afternoon.

The authorities additionally proposed enforcing a central deposit limit for online playing, supplemented by an affordability take a look at for bets exceeding this threshold. Diminished limits are expected for youthful adults to extra restrict financial exposure.

This echoes a identical fresh regime in Finland, the build mumble-owned operator Veikkaus lately launched its gain deposit limits for avid gamers under 25.

Funding and pathways

Emphasis might per chance maybe be placed on creating clearer pathways against care by reducing the stigma around playing, to boot to by making improvements to the visibility of toughen companies and multidisciplinary local responses linking addiction, debt, psychological health and social care. Suicide prevention changed into additionally underscored as a key clinical priority.

Sleek solutions are expected to account for when playing licensees have to intervene and prescribe effective actions for avid gamers. An external expert neighborhood will show on tightening the care responsibility for online operators, whereas improvements to the nationwide self‑exclusion register – Cruk – had been planned, including skill expansion to disguise unlawful playing sites.

Quantifying playing hurt

Currently, no identical earlier instrument exists to quantify playing hurt.

The agenda quoted a be taught imprint that exposed that, in 2025, 69% of Dutch residents aged 16 and over engaged in no longer less than one manufacture of playing. Half of the 16-17-one year-dilapidated demographic, under the lawful playing age of 18, additionally reported having gambled.

The agenda additionally promoted enhanced files sharing, be taught into intervention efficacy and specialised practising for mavens. The Ministry of Justice and Safety (JenV) will oversee the agenda’s implementation in collaboration with the Ministry of Neatly being, Welfare and Sport (VWS) and the KSA.

Funding for the many initiatives will reach from the Dependancy Prevention Fund, managed by the KSA, which is in a environment to allocate sources aligned with the roadmap’s priorities.