The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has published findings from three separate studies examining gambling behaviour among minors and young adults, offering the regulator new grounds for strengthening protections for these groups.
Across the research, gambling appears to be strongly normalized in Dutch society, with children encountering it in various forms from a young age, a pattern the KSA says may make the transition to online gambling easier once they turn 18.
One study, focused on gambling behaviour among 18-24 year-olds in the first three months after registering with a licensed online operator, found that many accounts are opened on or shortly after a user's 18th birthday, accounting for 41% of new accounts in that age group.
The study also found that casino games, rather than sports betting, are typically the first product young adults try, a shift from earlier KSA research that identified sports betting as the more common entry point into other forms of gambling.
A second qualitative study, conducted by Youngworks on the KSA's behalf, examined the path many children take before they start gambling.
Many children encounter gambling before turning 18
Usually through legal products that reach them indirectly since those products are only intended for adults, for example, parents buying them a scratch card, or older friends or family members sharing their online betting account.
At that stage, gambling is often a group activity that young people see as harmless, with the social element, such as playing poker with friends or jointly betting on sports matches, playing a central role.
On a more positive note, the study found that many young people view gambling alone and using illegal, unlicensed operators as key warning signs of potential problem behaviour.
A third study, examining gambling among students at vocational institutions, found that while 68% of students said they don't gamble at all, 28% of underage students reported having gambled in the past year
