Nieuw licht op risicogroepen

De Kansspelautoriteit heeft in augustus 2026 drie afzonderlijke onderzoeken gepubliceerd die concrete data opleveren over hoe minderjarigen en jongvolwassenen tussen achttien en vierentwintig jaar in aanraking komen met gokken, and how that contact evolves once they register with licensed operators. Researchers examined registration data from the first three months after young adults sign up at legal online platforms, surveyed gambling patterns among MBO students, and mapped the pathways through which minors encounter gambling offers.

These datasets now give the regulator clearer benchmarks for protective measures, while the studies themselves remain strictly descriptive and contain no policy recommendations beyond the factual findings.

Eerste drie maanden na registratie

One study tracked the activity of newly registered players aged eighteen to twenty-four during their initial quarter with a licensed Dutch online provider. Figures show that a substantial share of these accounts placed bets within the first thirty days, yet the average stake per session stayed modest and most sessions lasted under fifteen minutes. Data also revealed that deposit limits chosen at signup were rarely adjusted upward in those early weeks, while self-exclusion requests appeared at a low but consistent rate. The report links these patterns directly to the registration logs without interpreting motivation.

Gokgedrag onder MBO-studenten

A second investigation focused on vocational students at MBO level. Survey responses from several hundred participants indicated that roughly one in five had gambled at least once in the preceding twelve months, with online slots and sports betting mentioned most frequently. The study recorded that many of these students used multiple accounts across different platforms and that a smaller subset combined gambling with other leisure spending such as gaming or streaming subscriptions. Researchers noted age verification occurred at signup in nearly all cases, yet peer influence and targeted advertising on social media were cited as common entry points.

Contactmomenten bij minderjarigen

The third report examined how people under eighteen first encounter gambling. Interviews and digital trace analysis pointed to social media clips, influencer content, and gaming-adjacent advertisements as primary exposure routes. Several minors described seeing promotions while watching streams or playing free-to-play games that later transitioned to real-money offers. The data showed that most first contacts happened via mobile devices and that a minority progressed to attempting registration before turning eighteen, though successful account creation remained blocked by existing age checks. No direct financial loss figures appear in this part of the research, which instead concentrates on exposure pathways.

Gebruik van de nieuwe inzichten

Together the three studies supply the Kansspelautoriteit with measurable indicators that can be monitored over time. The regulator can now compare future registration cohorts against the baseline established in the first study, track shifts in MBO gambling prevalence, and assess whether exposure routes for minors narrow after specific interventions. All findings are published on the authority’s site under the news section at kansspelautoriteit.nl/nieuws, allowing other researchers and policymakers direct access to the underlying tables and methodology descriptions.

Conclusie

The release adds three focused datasets to the existing body of information on youth gambling in the Netherlands. By limiting scope to registration behavior, student patterns, and exposure routes, the Kansspelautoriteit obtains practical reference points that support ongoing monitoring without venturing into regulatory prescription. The studies stand as factual snapshots collected in 2026 and remain available for further academic or institutional analysis.