The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), is developing new youth protection strategies by compiling findings from three major national gambling behaviour studies.
The studies focus on young people between the ages of 16 and 24, examining the full gambling journey from initial exposure to active participation at legal age.
While the research does not capture the entire Dutch youth population, it provides a detailed picture of how gambling is introduced, why it appeals, and how prevalent it becomes within that age group.
The most recent study was conducted by Youngworks, commissioned directly by the KSA, and surveyed 50 individuals aged between 16 and 21.
Youngworks also conducted in-depth interviews with 24 participants aged 18 and above to better understand what drives young people into gambling from an early age.
Respondents in the Youngworks study indicated that first exposure to gambling typically occurs between the ages of 8 and 12, often through a relative or close friend of legal age.
The KSA noted that independent gambling behaviour can then emerge between the ages of 12 and 14, often taking a social form within peer groups.
Early independent gambling activity at this stage tends to involve gifted scratch cards, indirect sports betting, or card games such as poker played at home.
Youngworks reported that between the ages of 14 and 16, gambling habits typically begin shifting toward the digital space and online platforms.
Despite this shift, young people within that age range still tend to view solo gambling or use of illegal gambling platforms as indicators of problem gambling behaviour, according to the study.
For the second piece of analysis, the KSA drew on its own internal database, examining 15,761 accounts belonging to people aged between 18 and 24 that were open in May 2025 and active during the following three months.
That analysis applied a version of the Problem Gambling Severity Index methodology, the same framework used in the United Kingdom, though adapted to use three questions rather than the standard nine.
The regulator’s decision to triangulate findings across three separate studies reflects a growing recognition that protecting young adults requires understanding gambling behaviour well before it begins at a legal level.
By examining the full arc of gambling exposure from childhood through early adulthood, the KSA is positioning itself to design interventions that address risk at multiple stages of development.
The findings are expected to directly inform future regulatory priorities, enforcement approaches, and harm-reduction measures that the KSA pursues across the Dutch gambling market.
