The Dutch Association of Mental Health and Addiction Care (De Nederlandse ggz) has called on the government to impose an outright ban on all forms of online gambling advertising as it poses a “major” threat to young people and those at risk of addiction.
Last July, the Dutch government implemented a ban on most gambling advertising across various media channels. This includes television, radio and print, as well as advertising in public places.
However, the law still allows targeted advertising in some contexts. As such, ads can still feature across on-demand streaming services, social media, direct mail and online gaming environments, but they cannot appeal to or target underage consumers.
The government has so far resisted calls to extend the ban. This includes a motion filed in Parliament by Derk Boswijk of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party in February to extend the advertising restrictions to an outright ban.
However, De Nederlandse ggz is urging an outright ban, airing concerns over the impact on young people.
“People, and young people in particular, are too easily exposed to the risks of addiction,” chairwoman Ruth Peetoom said.
“The younger people find gambling normal, the greater the chance of problematic gambling later in life,” she adds. The non-profit references statistics from the gambling regulator KSA which suggested young people aged between 18 and 23 made up 22% of online gambling accounts in the country in the second half of 2023.
De Nederlandse ggz also noted an increase in the number of people eeking out treatment for gambling addiction in the Netherlands. According to data collected by LADIS, the national alcohol and drugs database, this 2,456 people were seeking out care for gambling addiction in 2023, representing a year-on-year.
Operators accused of targeting young people with advertising
Peetoom also referenced research from Pointer, a program run by Dutch public broadcaster KRO-NCRV. This suggests operators are trying to attract young people by running content across social media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat.
It accused operators of using celebrities and influencers to promote their products through terms such as ‘free money’ to draw interest. This is despite a ban on role model advertising having been in place since June 2022.
Peetoom said such activity lowers the threshold for gambling and may cause serious health risks for young people. She added that gambling addiction is often accompanied by financial problems, lack of sleep and mental vulnerability.
“We also recognise this tactic from the tobacco industry, for example,” Peetoom said. “Young people are very sensitive to stimuli such as ‘fast money’ and are influenced by role models. The online gambling industry also makes clever use of this. The younger people think that gambling is normal, the greater the chance of problematic gambling later in life.
“That is why we are jointly advocating a general advertising ban on online gambling. We see major risks, especially on social media.”
Operator duty of care “must also improve”
Peetoom also called on operators to improve their own systems in terms of duty of care to customers. This, Peetoom said, should also include regulator Kansspelautoriteit being stricter in enforcing rules.
“The rules regarding the duty of care of gambling providers must also be formulated more strictly,” Peetoom said. “In addition, supervision of problematic gambling and the duty of care of online gambling providers must also improve.”