Long-term developments in the Dutch regulated gambling industry show a decline in gross gaming revenue (GGR), according to the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) spring report. The findings, covering the second half of 2025, indicate that the legal market remained largely flat compared to the first half of the year across key indicators, while the unlicensed sector continued to grow.
During July–December 2025, the number of licensed operators increased slightly from 30 to 31. Around 810,000 customers used licensed platforms in this period, down from 850,000 in H1. Despite the drop in active users, the number of active accounts rose by roughly 100,000, suggesting that players are spreading their activity across more operators. The regulator links this shift to regulatory changes, including deposit limits introduced in October 2024.
Total GGR in H2 2025 reached approximately €602 million, a marginal increase of under 1% compared to H1. However, when adjusted for inflation, this reflects stagnation and underlying decline, driven by a shrinking player base and reduced operator performance. Data from H2 Gambling Capital shows that the broader EU online gambling market grew by 11% between 2024 and 2025, reinforcing the KSA’s view that domestic regulatory pressures are limiting growth in the Netherlands.
This continues a broader downward trend. Dutch legal online gambling GGR reached €697 million in Q2 2024, but full-year comparisons for 2024 and 2025 show an overall decline of around 18%. The KSA attributes much of this contraction to regulatory tightening introduced in October 2024, as highlighted in earlier reports.
At the same time, the authority notes rising activity in the illegal gambling market. In H2 2025, more users were found engaging with unlicensed operators. Estimates suggest that around 20,000–30,000 users interacted exclusively with illegal platforms, up from earlier periods, while a smaller group used both legal and illegal services.
Overall, approximately 91% of users now gamble only through licensed operators, down from an estimated 94% in H1. However, financial channelization paints a more concerning picture: only about 49% of total wagering funds are believed to flow through the legal market, down from 56% previously. The KSA notes that higher losses in the black market—where consumer protections are weaker or absent—help explain the gap between user and revenue channelization metrics.
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