Licensed Dutch Operators Capture 59% of Online Gambling Revenue

Licensed online gambling operators in the Netherlands generated approximately €670 million ($750 million) in gross gaming yield during the first half of 2026, up 11% from the previous six months. However, the number of people gambling with legal providers remained broadly unchanged.

---

Good to know

• Average monthly losses reached €137 per player, compared with €121 in the previous half-year.
• Licensed operators accounted for an estimated 59% of online gambling revenue, up from 54%.
• Active accounts increased even though monthly player numbers stayed around 490,000.

---

The figures point to more activity among existing customers rather than a larger audience. Operators reported an average of 1.48 million active accounts each month, compared with 1.38 million in the second half of 2025.

Meanwhile, the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) estimated that approximately 820,000 people used licensed providers at some point between January and June. Around 490,000 played in an average month, according to panel data from GfK.

More Accounts Complicate the Picture of Player Losses

Measuring losses by account tells only part of the story. The average monthly loss per active account remained broadly stable at €75, while accounts belonging to people aged 18–23 averaged €34.

Once the Ksa adjusted for people using multiple accounts and gambling intermittently, its estimate reached €137 per person per month. That compares with €121 in the preceding six months.

The regulator suggested that players may increasingly spread their gambling across providers in response to rules including the net deposit limits introduced in October 2024. It presented that connection as a possible explanation, rather than a confirmed cause.

Operators opened 563,000 accounts during the half-year, up from 529,000. June produced a clear increase, coinciding with the start of the men’s FIFA World Cup.

Sports betting generated approximately €163 million, or 24% of licensed revenue, compared with a share of roughly 20% in the previous half-year. The Ksa said the tournament may have contributed to that growth.

Casino games against the house remained the largest category, producing €492 million and about 73% of total revenue. Sports wagering varied more from month to month than casino activity.

Legal Sites Reach Most Players but Capture Less of Their Spending

The Ksa estimated that licensed providers captured 59% of online gross gaming yield in the first half of 2026, up from 54% in the second half of 2025. Gross gaming yield, known locally as BSR, means stakes minus prizes paid to players.

Player-based estimates put legal participation much higher, at 94%–97%, depending on the method.

Approximately 20,000 people used only unlicensed operators in an average month, while another 10,000 played at both licensed and illegal sites.

That gap suggests customers using illegal providers may lose considerably more on average. However, the Ksa cautioned that estimating the unlicensed market remains difficult.

Its calculations combine GfK participation data with a method based on Google Ads search volumes. The regulator continues to refine those estimates.

Advertising Declines While Treatment Demand Increases

Licensed operators reduced online advertising placements by around 33%. Monthly placements fell from approximately 75,000 in the second half of 2025 to 50,000 in the first half of 2026.

Illegal advertising remains a separate concern. Industry association VNLOK has taken Meta to court, alleging that more than 90% of gambling advertisements on Facebook come from operators without a Dutch licence.

The government also proposed a near-total online gambling advertising ban in June.

Meanwhile, specialised services treated 3,108 people for gambling as their primary problem in 2025, up 14% from 2024. The Cruks self-exclusion register added an average of approximately 2,076 people monthly, reaching around 120,200 registrations by July 31, 2026.

Young adults remained overrepresented in account figures. People aged 18–23 held approximately 22% of legal gambling accounts despite making up 9.2% of the adult population.

Separate Ksa research found that 11% of accounts opened by 18-year-olds during 2024–2025 dated from their birthday, while 38% opened within a month of turning 18.

The post Licensed Dutch Operators Capture 59% of Online Gambling Revenue appeared first on iGaming.org.