Dutch Gaming Authority backs initiatives to address gambling-related harm

(AsiaGameHub) –   On Tuesday, the Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) announced that it has awarded grants to five new initiatives aimed at preventing harm linked to gambling.

These projects—led by the Anonymous Gamblers Foundation and Gamblers’ Environment Foundation (AGOG), the Dutch Association for Psychiatry (NVvP), the Trimbos Institute, and the Naast Foundation—are funded via the Addiction Prevention Fund (Verslavingspreventiefonds, VPF), which is overseen by the KSA.

Launched in 2021, the fund is sustained by an extra tax imposed on providers of high-risk gambling products.

The KSA referenced Dutch studies indicating that roughly 20% of individuals who gamble fall into moderate or high-risk categories for developing a gambling addiction.

The current funding focuses on four core areas: expanding peer support networks, creating clinical guidelines for addiction, integrating prevention efforts into existing social and health programs, and providing support for workplaces and families impacted by gambling issues.

The funded projects

AGOG (Anonymous Gamblers and Gamblers’ Environment Foundation)

AGOG will use the grant to train group leaders, boost professional growth, and test digital peer-support sessions. The online groups are intended to make support accessible to people in regions without in-person meetings and those who can’t attend face-to-face sessions.

Dutch Association for Psychiatry (NVvP)

The NVvP will develop clinical guidelines addressing gambling and gaming addictions. These guidelines are crucial for guiding psychiatric practice and directly respond to recommendations from the National Rapporteur on Addictions’ “Gambling with Health” report.

Trimbos Institute

The institute is running two pilot projects. One explores integrating gambling prevention into the “Growing Up in a Promising Environment” (OKO) initiative—targeted at youth—using literature reviews, data tracking, and partnerships with local municipalities.

The second pilot investigates methods for employers to identify early signs of gambling problems among staff and improve referral pathways to appropriate care, building on existing frameworks for substance-use prevention.

Stichting Naast

Stichting Naast will offer webinars, one-on-one counselling, and newsletters for relatives of individuals with gambling issues. These efforts will be linked to the OpenOverGokken.nl platform.

The initiative aims to enhance information clarity and streamline referral routes for family members seeking help.

Across Europe, other countries have rolled out similar funded projects. The UK government announced an allocation of £25.4 million to support gambling-harm prevention and resilience initiatives. According to the department, the grants are designed to back “equitable and innovative prevention strategies.”

Minors’ access to gambling platforms

The grant awards coincide with the KSA’s release of findings from its probe into minors’ access to legal online gambling platforms in the Netherlands. The regulator concluded that under current verification systems, it is “virtually impossible” for under-18s to register and gamble with licensed online operators.

However, the report acknowledged isolated technical loopholes that allow circumvention and emphasized that illegal operators pose the greatest risk to minors.

“The KSA is deeply concerned about minors gambling. Fortunately, it appears this rarely happens with licensed providers, but we do have clear indications that it still occurs,” said the chairman of the Dutch Gaming Authority’s board.

“Illegal providers often apply no or low age verification standards and advertise specifically targeting this young demographic—for example, via TikTok. This is extremely harmful, so the KSA is working hard to combat the illegal supply.

“We are also placing a stronger focus on educating minors to make them aware of the risks of gambling.”

Other European countries are also focusing on gambling’s impact on minors. Norway recently announced a four-year action plan to combat youth gambling, which includes coordinated prevention campaigns, enhanced treatment services, and an expanded research agenda.