Growing momentum in Dutch gambling sector
The Dutch Gambling Scene in 2023 and Beyond: A Review
The Netherlands legal gambling market is back in action, nearly reaching its pre-pandemic vigor. According to the annual Market Scan from the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA), both land-based and online gambling sectors displayed signs of recovery in 2023.
Brick-and-Mortar Gambling's Rebound
The land-based gambling sector, having operated without COVID-19 restrictions for the entire year of 2023, marked a significant resurge. The gross gaming result (GGR) reached an impressive €4 billion, a whopping 21.2% increase from the previous year. Although land-based casino games didn't meet their previous 2019 metrics, they nevertheless fueled this promising growth.
Online Gambling's Ascent
The digital gambling market continued its climb, aligning with earlier predictions. In the first half of 2024, the GGR for online gambling increased by 8%, jumping from €696 million in the latter half of 2023 to €752 million. This growth was partially spurred by a boost in sports betting, thanks to key events.
Digitized casino games remained the largest segment in the online market, contributing 72% to the total GGR in early 2024.
Lotteries and Casinos Dominate the Scene
Lotteries and casino games maintained their dominance in the legal gambling landscape. The GGR for lotteries in 2023 accounted for 30% of the market, with the National Postcode Lottery, Staatsloterij, and VriendenLoterij being the top players. Meanwhile, casino games, both land-based and online, raked in €2.4 billion in GGR, accounting for an impressive 61% of the market. Around 45% of this total came from online casino games.
Sports Betting's Modest Advance
Although still the smallest sector, sports betting saw a modest increase in 2023. The GGR rose by 9.7%, climbing from €318 million in 2022 to €349 million in 2023. Online betting, legalized in October 2021, now takes the lead, accounting for 83% of the sports betting market.
Participation On the Rise
The number of active online gambling accounts climbed in 2023, reaching approximately 1.07 million per month, up from 1 million in the previous year. However, as players often hold multiple accounts, the actual number of individual players stood at around 455,000 per month, representing a mere increase from the 452,000 recorded in late 2023. By early 2024, it's estimated that 5.4% of the Dutch adult population had indulged in online gambling, with a staggering 95% opting for licensed platforms.
Dutch Gamblers Spend Less than European Counterparts
Despite the market's overall growth, Dutch players tend to spend less on gambling compared to their European counterparts. In 2023, the average adult in the Netherlands spent €272 on legal gambling, up from €258 in 2022. This figure lags behind the EU average of €339 per person.
On average, Dutch online gamblers spent €158 per month over the first six months of 2024, totaling €946 over the half-year period. Younger players, aged 18-23, were particularly active, accounting for 10.8% of the total GGR, up from 9.6% in the latter half of 2023. However, they spent less per month than older gamblers, averaging €55 in monthly losses.
- The estimated number of individual players participating in online gambling in the Netherlands, after considering multiple accounts, reached around 455,000 per month in 2023.
- In the Netherlands, the estimated percentage of adults who had indulged in online gambling by early 2024 was 5.4%.
- Although Dutch gamblers showed an increase in spending on legal gambling in 2023, with an average adult spending €272, this figure still lagged behind the EU average of €339 per person.
- The Netherlands showed a significant increase in the online gambling sector, with the estimated GGR for online gambling increasing by 8% from the latter half of 2023 to the first half of 2024, reaching €752 million.
