Dutch Gambling Addiction Treatment Cases Rise

The number of people seeking specialist treatment for gambling addiction in the Netherlands increased again in 2025, with online betting continuing to play a growing role in the country’s addiction landscape several years after the legalization of private online gambling operators.

Data released by the Dutch addiction-care monitor LADIS showed that 3,108 individuals received treatment for gambling-related issues during 2025. This represented a rise from the 2,750 cases recorded the previous year and marked another consecutive annual increase after earlier declines in treatment figures.

The growth has increasingly been linked to the expansion of the regulated online gambling market, which officially opened in October 2021 under the Remote Gambling Act. While the legislation was introduced to channel players away from unregulated platforms, addiction experts had previously warned that easier access to online betting, combined with aggressive advertising and mobile gambling, could lead to more cases of problematic gambling behavior.

According to the LADIS report, the increase was not caused by additional treatment providers joining the monitoring system. Researchers noted that the upward trend was also visible among institutions that have consistently submitted data over many years.

The report additionally highlighted that nearly half of the people entering gambling addiction treatment had not previously received specialist addiction care. This indicates that many of the cases involve new patients entering the treatment system rather than returning individuals.

Following market liberalization, the Netherlands initially permitted broad gambling advertising across television, radio, sports sponsorships and digital platforms. However, growing political and public pressure later pushed the government to tighten regulations.

Authorities have since introduced stricter measures, including bans on untargeted gambling advertising, restrictions on sponsorship agreements in sports and new deposit limits for online betting accounts.

At the same time, participation in the country’s self-exclusion system, Cruks, has continued to grow. More than 100,000 individuals have now registered to block access to licensed casinos, gaming halls and online gambling operators.

Despite the increase in gambling-related treatment, alcohol addiction remains the most common issue within Dutch specialist addiction care. Among the nearly 68,000 people treated for addiction problems in 2025, alcohol dependency accounted for the largest share of cases, while cannabis remained the leading issue among younger people under the age of 25.

The report also noted that the gambling figures likely represent only part of the wider situation, as LADIS tracks specialist treatment services rather than the full number of people affected nationwide. Support organizations have reported growing demand for help services as online gambling becomes more accessible through mobile and digital platforms operating around the clock.