SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
An online survey carried out by the Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), in collaboration with treatment foundation AGOG has found that half of its respondents spent more than €1,000 each month on gambling.
The joint survey considered the responses of 86 people who have signed up with AGOG, which organises weekly meetings for players at risk of problem gambling behaviours. In its research, 223 of AGOG’s members were invited to take part in the survey, however, only 39 per cent responded to the request.
While the KSA emphasised that the study sample was not indicative nor representative of the entire AGOG membership, the regulator stated that it was able to draw a number of findings from the survey which can help inform future policies.
The report found that those who had experienced problem gambling were more inclined to gamble using gaming terminals, with 67 per cent of respondents saying they took part in this form of gaming.
One-third of respondents confirmed that they would take part in gambling activities on average two to three times a week in the year before they sought help, while another third stated that they gambled four to six times a week. A quarter of them gambled daily.
The KSA has confirmed that it will use the findings of the survey to gain further insight into gambling behaviours, allowing the regulator to ‘use the results for drawing up the annual market scan and in general for policy development.’
Earlier this month, Kansspelautoriteit governance confirmed a six-month delay to the pending legalisation of the country’s online gambling market.
Sander Dekker, the Dutch justice minister, informed the Netherlands parliament on the delay, with the Remote Gambling Act (Koa) set to “come into effect” on January 1, 2020 – six months later than previously planned.
