Dutch Studies Highlight Gambling Normalisation Among Young People
Netherlands.- 26 August 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com The Netherlands Gambling Authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has published new evidence indicating that gambling appears to be strongly normalised among minors and young adults.
The regulator examined three separate studies covering early exposure to gambling, participation among vocational students and the first gambling habits of customers aged 18 to 24 within the regulated online market.
The findings will now inform consideration of additional protections for younger consumers.
Three Studies Examine Youth Gambling
The research looked at different stages of young people’s relationship with gambling.
It focused on:
- Gambling behaviour among 18-to-24-year-olds during their first months with licensed online operators.
- Gambling participation among MBO vocational students.
- How minors first encounter gambling before reaching the legal age.
Together, the studies provide insight into the pathway from early exposure to legal participation after turning 18.
Gambling Normalised from an Early Age
One of the KSA’s central conclusions is that gambling appears to have become highly normalised within certain social environments.
Many minors encounter gambling products well before their eighteenth birthday.
In many cases, their first exposure does not involve illegal operators but legal gambling products accessed indirectly through family members or older acquaintances.
Family and Friends Enable Early Exposure
Qualitative research conducted by Youngworks identified examples including:
- Parents buying scratch cards for children.
- Older relatives facilitating participation.
- Friends sharing online gambling accounts.
- Poker among friends.
- Group participation in sports betting.
At these early stages, gambling is often perceived as a relatively harmless social activity.
Exposure Can Begin Between Ages Eight and 12
Among the participants included in the qualitative research, first exposure to gambling could occur at approximately eight to 12 years old.
More independent gambling behaviour could emerge between 12 and 14, although it often remained a social activity.
Between 14 and 16, some participation began to shift into the digital environment.
As a qualitative study, the findings should not be treated as representative of every young person in the Netherlands.
Accounts Frequently Opened at Age 18
Another study examined 15,761 accounts belonging to customers aged 18 to 24 that were active in May 2025 and followed their behaviour for the next three months.
The KSA found a large concentration of accounts belonging to customers who had only recently reached legal gambling age.
41% of the accounts analysed belonged to 18-year-olds.
Many were opened on or shortly after the customer’s eighteenth birthday.
Online Casino Is the Main Entry Product
The results also challenged a previous regulatory hypothesis that sports betting commonly acts as a gateway into other forms of online gambling.
Across the accounts studied:
- 72% initially played online casino only.
- 11% began with sports betting.
Previous KSA analysis had suggested sports betting could lead customers towards other products, but that pattern was not replicated in this study.
Higher Frequency but Lower Stakes
Eighteen-year-olds also gambled more frequently on average than users aged 19 to 24 during the first three months.
However, their median stakes were lower.
The finding illustrates that gambling frequency and financial spend do not necessarily develop in parallel among younger players.
28% of Underage Students Had Gambled
The third study examined students within the Netherlands’ MBO vocational-education system.
It drew on responses collected through research involving close to 30,000 students.
While 68% said they had not gambled during the previous year, 28% of underage students reported gambling at least once.
Among students aged 18 or above, the proportion was 39%.
Scratch Cards, Bingo and Machines Most Common
Among minors, the most common forms of gambling were primarily land-based products.
The KSA particularly identified:
- Scratch cards.
- Bingo.
- Gaming machines.
The findings demonstrate that early gambling exposure is not confined to online casino or digital sports betting.
Perceptions of Risk
The studies indicate that gambling forms part of the social environment for some young people and is not always perceived as particularly risky.
At the same time, respondents identified certain behaviours as warning signs.
Many considered gambling alone or using illegal gambling operators to be potential indicators of problematic behaviour.
Normalisation May Ease Transition to Online Gambling
The KSA believes repeated exposure before legal age may lower the psychological barrier to gambling legally after turning 18.
The high concentration of accounts opened immediately after an eighteenth birthday reinforces this concern.
Understanding that pathway is therefore viewed as an important part of designing more effective preventative policies.
Industry Context
The Netherlands has strengthened player-protection requirements across its regulated online market in recent years, with particular focus on younger customers.
The new research widens attention beyond behaviour inside gambling platforms to the social factors influencing consumers before they become legal players.
Family, friends, physical gambling products and social participation are therefore becoming increasingly relevant to the regulatory debate.
Next Steps or Impact
The KSA will use findings from the three studies to assess whether additional measures are required to protect minors and young adults.
The regulator is already working with the Government through its multi-year gambling-harm protection agenda.
Future policies may therefore focus not only on player behaviour inside licensed platforms but also on earlier exposure and the social processes through which gambling can become normalised before the age of 18.
Editó: @fonta
