According to a recent survey by the Netherlands-based Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates (KVA) system, since deposit limits were implemented in October, traffic to illegal gambling websites that target Dutch players has skyrocketed.
According to a March 10 KVA investigation, search traffic for phrases like “casino without limits” and “casino without Cruks” has increased dramatically. 172,576 visits were made to unauthorized sites in October. By November, that figure had increased to 294,255, and by February, it had reached 412,997. Over a million visits had been made as of March 5.
Additionally, there are now more illicit websites showing up in the top search results. By March, there were 72 domains connected to illicit gambling, up from 19 in October.
KVA, an advisory board established by legal firm XY Legal Solutions, monitors affiliate compliance with Dutch gambling laws through its Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates (QMRA) framework. Using SEO analytics tools like Semrush, KVA tracks traffic trends in the unregulated sector.
The group warned that tighter restrictions on legal gambling advertising could unintentionally drive more players toward illegal platforms. “Further restrictions on legal advertising could have an unintended adverse effect, causing players to switch to illegal platforms even more quickly,” the KVA stated.
Regulator’s Deposit Limits and Market Impact
Strict deposit restrictions were among the new player safety measures implemented by the Dutch gaming regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), in October.
Players must show proof of income in order to deposit more than €777 in a single calendar month under the new regulations. The monthly deposit cap for players between the ages of 18 and 25 is reduced to €300.
According to a KSA report released on February 14, these actions have decreased excessive gambling. The percentage of players who lost more than €1,000 a month decreased from 4% to 1%. The regulator did observe a change in gambling behavior, though. The percentage of overall gambling losses at legal sites has decreased from 60% to 50%, despite the fact that 91% of players still utilize legal operators. This suggests that high-spending players may be shifting to unlicensed platforms.
KSA acknowledged the unintended consequences of the policy. “The introduction of the policy rules has led to a reduction in excessive gambling at legal providers,” the regulator stated. “However, there is a great chance that heavy players have switched to illegal providers, while recreational players almost all continue to play at legal providers.”
With rising traffic to illegal sites, regulators and industry stakeholders must now weigh the impact of tighter restrictions against the risk of pushing more players into the unregulated market.
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