Dutch Government Seeks to Restrict High-Risk Gambling to Those Aged 21 and Over

Teun Struycken, the State Secretary for Legal Protection, has announced plans to raise the minimum age to 21 for the most high-risk forms of gambling in the Netherlands. This proposal, detailed in a letter to the Tweede Kamer, is part of a broader initiative to strengthen gambling regulations amid growing concerns over addiction and the current system's effectiveness.

Struycken aims to submit a formal legislative proposal early next year, after evaluating the policy's potential impact. In addition to the age restriction, the government intends to implement mandatory overall gambling limits to prevent players from circumventing caps by switching platforms. Players will only be allowed to exceed these limits if they can prove it won’t harm their financial well-being.

To better address illegal gambling, the Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit) will be granted expanded enforcement powers. These include the ability to block access to unauthorized websites, collaborate with banks and internet providers to restrict services to illegal operators, and suspend licenses of legal gambling firms if needed.

"Far too many people are engaging in dangerously high-risk gambling, and too many have already ended up in addiction care," Struycken noted, admitting the existing regulatory system hasn’t worked as intended.

However, industry voices such as the Dutch Online Gambling Association (NOGA) have warned that increasing the age limit may push younger gamblers toward unregulated websites. NOGA Director Eric Konings emphasized the importance of prioritizing enforcement, especially since the Gambling Authority estimates that around half of all gambling in the Netherlands currently takes place illegally.

The government has also received recommendations from the Scientific Research and Data Centre (WODC), which found that while personalized gambling limits help reduce individual spending, they do not significantly change overall gambling habits.