KSA: New Insights into Gambling Behaviour of Minors and Young Adults

The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has gained new insights into the gambling behaviour of minors and young adults through three studies. The regulator investigated, among other things, the gambling behaviour of young adults (18-24 years old) in the first three months after registering with a legal online gambling provider, gambling behaviour among MBO students, and how minors come into contact with gambling. The results of the various studies provide the KSA with new tools to better protect this group.

Various studies reveal, among other things, that gambling appears to be highly normalised in our society, and that children come into contact with it in various ways at a young age. This normalisation may contribute to young people finding it easier to take the step towards online gambling from the age of eighteen. Research into the gambling behaviour of young adults shows that many accounts belonging to 18-year-olds are created on or shortly after their birthday. In the 18-24 age group, 41% of new accounts belong to an 18-year-old. However, on average, they wager the least money. Previous reports by the KSA indicated that sports betting is often a stepping stone to participating in other gambling products. We do not see this reflected in this study: here, we see that most young adults start with casino games.

A second study, conducted by Youngworks on behalf of the KSA, reveals the path young people take before they start gambling. This qualitative research shows, among other things, that many children come into contact with gambling before the age of eighteen. This usually involves legal gambling products that reach them indirectly, as these products are only permitted from the age of 18. These could be parents buying a scratch card for them, or older friends or family members sharing their online account with a minor. At that time, gambling is often a group activity that is considered harmless by the young people. The social aspect, such as playing poker with friends or placing sports bets together, plays a major role in this. On a positive note, however, the research shows that many young people view “gambling alone” and gambling with an illegal provider as an important signal of potential problem behaviour.

The third study into gambling behaviour among MBO students also clearly shows that the proportion of minors who gamble is high. Although 68% of MBO students indicate that they do not gamble at all, 28% of minor students state that they gambled in the past year. The most common forms are scratch cards, bingo, and slot machines. This primarily concerns physical offerings.

Various studies show that young people come into contact with gambling at a very young age. For some young people, gambling is part of their social environment and is not always perceived as risky. Minors primarily come into contact with legal gambling products, particularly through physical offerings. In the coming period, the KSA will continue its work to determine what additional measures are needed to better protect young people. This is currently already being worked on in collaboration with the Ministry, partly within the framework of the multi-year agenda for Protection against Gambling Harm.