KSA launches second stage of CRUKS awareness campaign

The Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has launched a new advertising campaign that raises the awareness of player self-exclusion. 

Bearing the motto “Pack your life again, take a gambling stop’, the initiative is a continuation of KSA’s pilot self-exclusion marketing of the national CRUKS register from last year.

The primary target group of the new campaign is young adults who may be experiencing problem gambling behaviour. Therefore, the marketing efforts behind the awareness initiative are all largely focused on social media rather than traditional media outlets.

Across the online videos, social ads and posts, a number of young people can be seen interacting with others in various social situations, implicating the importance of interpersonal relationships and how losing control over gambling can harm them. 

Operated by the KSA, CRUKS was launched back in 2021 as part of the Dutch government’s mandate of the Remote Gambling Act (KOA) to regulate the online gambling market.

Under the rule book, all online gambling providers are by law to ensure that new players are not listed on the CRUKS registry before onboarding them onto their systems.

The KOA is currently subject to reforms, with a recent evaluation of the regulatory framework by the Research Agency for Justice and Security finding policy shortcomings when it comes to establishing a responsible gambling environment. 

Reforms are spearheaded by the Dutch Secretary of State for Legal Protections, Teun Struycken, who remains committed to ironing out potential discrepancies in the license holders’ duty of care even at the turn of the new year.