Kansspelautoriteit highlights gambling exposure among minors and young adults

The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has reported new findings on how minors and young adults encounter gambling and begin participating after reaching the legal age. Three separate studies indicate that gambling can become familiar to young people before they are legally permitted to participate, while a significant share of newly registered players enters the legal online market soon after turning 18.

The findings provide the regulator with additional information as it considers how younger people can be better protected from gambling-related risks. The research covers the routes through which minors encounter gambling, the behaviour of 18 to 24-year-olds during their first three months with a licensed online gambling operator and gambling among students in Dutch vocational education.

The KSA published the combined findings on 20 August 2026. The research does not suggest that every young person who encounters gambling will develop problematic behaviour. Instead, it highlights the importance of understanding how early exposure and social normalisation may influence attitudes towards gambling later in life.

Gambling can become familiar before the legal age

One of the studies examined how young people encounter gambling before reaching the age of 18. The findings indicate that exposure can occur through legal gambling products that are not intended for minors but may reach them indirectly.

Examples identified in the research include parents purchasing scratch cards for their children and older friends or relatives allowing minors to use an online gambling account. These situations can introduce gambling to young people without them necessarily viewing the activity as gambling in a formal or potentially risky sense.

The social environment also appears to play an important role. The Ksa's research found that activities such as playing poker with friends or placing sports bets together can be regarded by young people as ordinary group entertainment.

This distinction is important from a regulatory perspective. An activity that is presented as casual entertainment may not immediately be recognised by a young person as something associated with financial or behavioural risks.

The research also indicates that some young people consider gambling alone or using an illegal gambling operator to be signs that gambling behaviour may be becoming problematic. This suggests that young people's understanding of risk is not necessarily absent. Rather, their perception of what constitutes risky behaviour can depend heavily on the circumstances in which gambling takes place.

Many new accounts are opened at 18

A separate study examined gambling behaviour among people aged 18 to 24 during the first three months after registering with a legal online gambling operator.

According to the Ksa, 41% of new accounts within this age group belonged to 18-year-olds. Many of these accounts were created on or shortly after the player's 18th birthday.

The finding provides a clear indication that reaching the legal age can represent an important point of transition for gambling participation. For some young adults, legal access appears to be followed relatively quickly by registration with an online operator.

At the same time, the research found that 18-year-olds placed the lowest average stakes among the age group studied. That distinction is significant because the high proportion of new accounts among 18-year-olds does not automatically translate into the highest level of spending.

The data therefore presents a more nuanced picture of early adult gambling. Registration soon after reaching the legal age is common among new accounts, but the amounts wagered by these youngest participants were comparatively low.

Casino games were more common than sports betting

The study also provides a notable distinction from earlier observations concerning how young adults begin gambling.

Previous Ksa reporting had indicated that sports betting could serve as an entry point to other forms of gambling. In the latest research, however, that pattern was not observed among the 18 to 24-year-old participants examined.

Instead, the majority of young adults in the study started with casino games.

This does not mean that sports betting has ceased to be relevant to younger players. Rather, the findings show that the route into gambling can vary between groups and over time. Understanding those differences is important for regulators because prevention measures may need to consider more than one type of gambling activity.

The results also demonstrate why assumptions about young people's gambling behaviour need to be tested against current evidence. The first gambling product used by a newly legal player may not necessarily be the same product that later becomes associated with more frequent participation.

MBO research highlights continued exposure among minors

The third study focused on students attending MBO vocational education programmes in the Netherlands. It found that gambling remains present among minors within this population.

The Ksa reported that 68% of MBO students surveyed said they did not gamble. At the same time, 28% of underage students said they had gambled during the previous year.

The most common forms identified were scratch cards, bingo and gaming machines. Importantly, the research indicated that gambling among these minors was mainly associated with physical products and venues rather than online gambling.

This finding adds another dimension to the wider discussion around youth protection. While online gambling receives considerable regulatory attention because of its accessibility and speed of play, the research suggests that physical gambling products continue to play a role in the experiences of some minors.

The figures should also be interpreted within the context of the study population. The findings concern the surveyed MBO students and should not be treated as a measurement of all Dutch minors. Nevertheless, they provide the Ksa with additional evidence about how gambling can remain accessible to young people through offline channels.

Social normalisation is a key regulatory concern

Across the three studies, one recurring issue is the normalisation of gambling. The research indicates that some young people encounter gambling through family members, friends or other social settings where the activity is treated as relatively ordinary.

Normalisation does not itself establish that an individual will develop gambling-related problems. However, it may influence how young people perceive the activity and the risks associated with it.

When gambling is introduced through a familiar social setting, a young person may initially associate it with entertainment, friendship or family activities rather than financial risk. This can make it more difficult to distinguish between casual participation and behaviour that could become harmful.

For regulators, that creates a prevention challenge that extends beyond the point at which a person creates an online account. Protecting younger people may also require attention to the environments in which gambling first becomes familiar.

Online gambling remains an important area of protection

The findings arrive against a wider backdrop of tighter Dutch gambling policy. The Netherlands has progressively strengthened requirements intended to encourage safer gambling behaviour and protect players from excessive participation.

The Ksa's responsibilities include monitoring licensed operators and enforcing gambling rules. Its regulatory approach also places significant emphasis on player protection and preventing gambling-related harm.

For young adults, the transition at 18 is particularly important because legal eligibility can quickly translate into access to online gambling services. The latest research suggests that operators and regulators therefore face a narrow window in which newly eligible players can enter the legal market.

The finding that many accounts are opened around the 18th birthday may encourage further attention to early-stage player behaviour. At the same time, the relatively low average stakes among 18-year-olds underline the importance of distinguishing between registration and harmful gambling.

Government policy is moving towards stronger protection

The Ksa's findings are also consistent with a broader Dutch policy direction that places greater emphasis on protecting minors and young adults from gambling-related harm.

The Dutch government has already outlined plans for further restrictions on online gambling, including measures concerning advertising, bonuses and deposit limits. The policy discussion has increasingly focused on reducing the potential for gambling-related harm rather than relying solely on individual responsibility.

The Ksa said it will continue examining what additional measures may be required to protect minors and young adults. It is working with the relevant ministry through the multi-year agenda on protection against gambling harm.

Any future measures will need to balance several factors, including legal access for adults, effective age protection and the prevention of harmful behaviour. The latest research provides evidence that these considerations cannot be limited to online gambling alone.

What the findings could mean for operators

Licensed gambling operators are likely to remain an important part of the wider protection framework. Age verification is a fundamental requirement for regulated gambling, but the latest research highlights that exposure can occur before a person reaches the legal age and outside the operator's direct environment.

This means that regulatory protection may need to operate across several stages. The first is preventing minors from accessing gambling products. The second is ensuring that newly eligible adults are exposed to appropriate safeguards when they begin participating. The third is identifying potentially risky behaviour before it develops into more serious harm.

The findings also reinforce the importance of responsible gambling information that is understandable to younger adults. Communication aimed at an 18-year-old who has just entered the legal market may need to address the specific circumstances of first-time participation rather than relying only on general warnings.

A broader view of youth gambling protection

The three studies collectively provide a broader picture of youth gambling in the Netherlands. They show that exposure can occur through family and social relationships, that legal access may be followed quickly by online registration and that physical gambling products remain relevant among some minors.

At the same time, the findings do not support a simple conclusion that young people who encounter gambling will inevitably develop gambling problems. The research instead points towards a complex relationship between exposure, social attitudes, age, gambling format and individual behaviour.

That distinction is important for responsible reporting and policymaking. Effective regulation should be based on evidence and proportionate safeguards rather than assumptions about all young people.

Conclusion

The latest research from the Kansspelautoriteit places early gambling exposure and the transition into legal participation firmly within the Dutch regulatory debate. The evidence indicates that gambling can become familiar to some young people before they reach 18, often through social environments and physical products. Once legal access becomes available, many new accounts among 18 to 24-year-olds are created by people who have only just reached adulthood.

The 41% figure for 18-year-olds is particularly notable because it demonstrates how closely online registration can follow the arrival of legal eligibility. However, the comparatively low average stakes among these players show why registration figures should not be interpreted as evidence of widespread harmful gambling.

The MBO findings add another important element by showing that physical gambling remains relevant among some minors. Together, the studies suggest that youth protection cannot be addressed through a single measure or limited to one gambling channel.

For the Dutch gambling market, the next phase is likely to focus increasingly on prevention, early identification and safeguards for younger people. The Ksa's research gives policymakers a stronger evidence base for that work while also highlighting the need for careful, proportionate approaches. As the Netherlands continues to strengthen its gambling framework, protecting minors and young adults is likely to remain one of the central tests of how effectively the regulated market can meet its broader consumer protection objectives.

FAQs

What did the Kansspelautoriteit find about gambling among young people?
The Kansspelautoriteit found that some young people encounter gambling before the age of 18 and that gambling can become normalised through family, friends and social activities.

How many new accounts among 18 to 24-year-olds belong to 18-year-olds?
The Ksa reported that 41% of new accounts in the 18 to 24 age group belonged to 18-year-olds in the study examining the first three months after registration.

Do 18-year-olds spend more on gambling than older young adults?
No. The study found that 18-year-olds placed the lowest average stakes among the 18 to 24-year-old group examined.

Which gambling products did young adults use first?
The latest Ksa research found that most young adults in the study started with casino games rather than sports betting.

How do minors encounter gambling before turning 18?
The research identified indirect exposure through legal products, including situations where parents purchase scratch cards or older friends and relatives share online accounts.

What role does social activity play in youth gambling?
The studies indicate that gambling can be presented as a group activity, with examples including poker among friends and placing sports bets together.

What did the MBO student study find?
The study found that 68% of surveyed MBO students said they did not gamble, while 28% of underage students said they had gambled during the previous year.

Which gambling activities were most common among the surveyed minors?
Scratch cards, bingo and gaming machines were identified as the most common forms of gambling among the underage MBO students surveyed.

Was online gambling the main form of gambling among the surveyed minors?
No. The MBO research indicated that gambling among underage students was mainly associated with physical products and venues rather than online gambling.

What will the Kansspelautoriteit do next?
The Ksa said it will continue examining additional measures to protect minors and young adults, working with the relevant ministry through the multi-year agenda on protection against gambling harm.