Once iGaming was made legal in the Netherlands, gambling advertisements increased by 100%.

The amount of adverts for online gambling has risen in the Netherlands since its legalisation. In October 2021, the government legalised iGaming, and eleven casinos were approved for operation. According to Nielsen's data, there were slightly more than 170,000 gambling-related advertising airing in the region between October 2020 and November 2020. Over 366,000 advertisements were placed within the same time period this year.

Information Regarding the Advertisement Budget

Holland Casino invested the most money into their online casino services compared to their competitors in the Netherlands. The operator spent €6.4 million on ads for the period of two months. Toto spent 4.6 million euros, making them the runner-up.

The next two highest spenders were FairPlayCasino with $3.3 million and BataviaCasino with $3.2 million. Tombola reduced his budget to $2.6 million. About 370,000 in ads were funded, with slightly more than 270,000 linked to gambling sites.

According to Nielson, over 88% of the advertising were displayed on digital platforms like social media. Advertisements on the internet have greater creative freedom than those on television. So that kids do not have to sit through hours of commercials every day, TV spots can only air at specific times.

Worrying Statistics

The surge in ads has raised serious concerns about whether or not there would be a rise in gambling addiction in the Netherlands. Tweede Kamer, the Dutch lower house of parliament, is worried about the proliferation of gambling ads in recent months.

The Senate is concerned that the rise may encourage more Dutch people to become addicted to gambling. Members of Parliament have proposed stricter limits on gambling advertisements. Unlike television, most may be freely distributed online.

Gambling advertisements online should be prohibited before 9 p.m., according to the Tweede Kamer. The prohibition on commercials on television is an example of what may happen here. The House also wants to make sure that no one sees advertisements for violent or otherwise risky games.

Legislators and scholars agree that betting online might have severe repercussions for society. According to health psychologist Arie Dijkstra, societal standards are shifting as a result of the proliferation of gambling advertisements and the legalisation of internet gambling. Addiction to gambling will rise as a result of this.

The Minister of Legal Protection, Sander Dekker, has declared that he is willing to evaluate the ban request of Tweede Kamer, but believes that it is too early to implement a ban. Consumer Union director Sandra Molenaar expressed alarm, believing that profits trump customers' needs.

She worries that youngsters will be exposed to the adverts because of a lack of oversight.