KSA survey highlights problem gambling behavior

Consumers in the Netherlands are more likely to encounter issues with problem gambling when playing gaming machines than other forms of gambling, according to a new joint report from the country’s regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) and self-help organisation AGOG.

The study was based on the responses of 86 people who have signed up with AGOG, which organises weekly meetings for players suffering with gambling-related problems.

AGOG invited 223 of its members to take part in the study, and with just 39% replying, the KSA said this cannot represent the entire AGOG membership. However, the regulator was able to draw a number of findings from the survey.

Of those that responded, 93% were male and 28% were aged between 30 and 40. The survey also found that those with gambling problems were more likely to have played gambling machines, with some 67% of respondents saying they took part in this form of gaming.

Other key findings from the report include that one third of players had gambled an average of two or three times a week in the year before they sought help with AGOG. A third of respondents had gambled between four and six times a week, while a quarter of players took part in gambling on a daily basis.

In addition, the survey found that almost half of the respondents spent more than €1,000 each month on gambling.

Evaluating the results, the KSA said the study provided it with more insight into the nature and extent of gambling problems, as well as gambling behavior. The regulator also said the study will contribute to its annual market evaluation and in general policy development.

This month, the KSA announced that the Netherlands’ regulated online gaming market is now likely to open from 1 July, 2021 – six months after previously stated.

In an update to parliament, Minister for Legal Protection Sander Dekker said the legislation was now expected to be implemented on 1 January, 2021. From this point the KSA will be able to process licence applications, with the market to open six months later.