Netherlands GGR soars 37% in January as channelisation rate hits 92%
Latest data from the Netherlands Gambling Authority shows continued growth in market following October 2021 launch
The Dutch gambling market has returned significant upticks in gross gaming revenue (GGR) and channelisation rates, according to the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA).
The KSA has released its fourth monitoring report of the online market, which showed GGR in January 2023 had risen to €124m, up 37.7% on January 2022’s €90m.
The regulator said it expects GGR to increase between 13% and 15% each year based on the data available to it since the market went live on 1 October 2021.
In January, there was a total of 859,000 active accounts with licensed operators, although the KSA noted that only around 365,000 players gamble each month.
The regulator also noted that 57% of customers have one account while 22% have four accounts or more.
Per account, the amount lost by a player has decreased since the launch of the market in 2021.
Between October 2021 and July 2022, players lost an average of €153 per month. Between August 2022 and January 2023, this figure fell to €143.
Young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 accounted for 183,00 accounts in January.
The KSA said young adults are playing more frequently than older customer but their average monthly loss is far lower at just €54.
Elsewhere, the Dutch channelisation rate has increased to 92%, well above the regulator’s target of 80%.
In terms of self-exclusion, the KSA confirmed there are almost 40,000 people registered with its self-exclusion system CRUKS.
Earlier this week, the KSA launched an updated version of the register to make it easy for customers to sign up.
René Jansen, KSA chair, said the increase in GGR and the number of active customers meant operators needed to renew focus on protecting players.
Jansen said: “This fourth monitoring report shows a growth in the market for online games of chance, as we previously predicted. This is a development that requires all of our attention.
“[Operators] must take up their duty of care firmly and intervene in a timely manner to protect players in order to realise that safe environment. Our investigation into the implementation of the duty of care this spring shows that the duty of care is interpreted in a very broad and varied manner.
“It is therefore very important that we, together with providers, look at a clearer interpretation that protects players in the best possible way. Compliance with the duty of care is also a priority in our supervision,” he added.