TLDR
- 3,108 people received gambling addiction treatment in the Netherlands in 2025, up 13% from 2,750 in 2024
- The rise follows the legalization of online gambling in October 2021 under the Remote Gambling Act
- Roughly half of new patients had never previously received specialist addiction care
- The Dutch government has introduced advertising bans, deposit limits, and sports sponsorship phase-outs
- Over 100,000 people have registered on the national self-exclusion system, Cruks
Dutch Online Gambling Linked to Rising Addiction Treatment Numbers
The Netherlands saw another annual increase in gambling addiction treatment cases in 2025, with new data pointing to online betting as a key factor.
According to the Dutch addiction-care monitor LADIS, 3,108 people entered specialist treatment for gambling-related problems last year. That is up from 2,750 in 2024, a 13% rise.
The increase follows several years in which gambling treatment numbers had actually been falling. The turnaround comes roughly four years after the Netherlands opened its online gambling market to private operators.
Digital betting was legalized in October 2021 under the Remote Gambling Act. The move was intended to bring an existing black market under regulation. Addiction specialists warned at the time that easier access and heavy advertising would lead to more problem gambling.
The latest treatment figures suggest those concerns were well-founded.
Researchers confirmed the increase is not a statistical artifact caused by more clinics joining the national monitoring system. The upward trend was also present among institutions that have submitted consistent data for nearly a decade.
New Patients Entering the System
One detail from the LADIS report stands out. Around half of those entering treatment in 2025 had no prior history of specialist addiction care. This points to new patients entering the system rather than existing addicts returning for further treatment.
Support services say mobile apps have made gambling available at any hour, which has deepened its presence in daily life.
After the market opened, operators ran large advertising campaigns across television, radio, sports venues, and social media. Hundreds of thousands of accounts were opened within months of the launch.
Government Tightens Rules
Political pressure built quickly after legalization, and the Dutch government has since introduced a series of restrictions.
Untargeted gambling advertisements have been banned. Sports sponsorship deals are being phased out. Daily deposit limits have been introduced for online betting accounts.
The national self-exclusion register, Cruks, has grown to more than 100,000 registered users. People on the list are blocked from licensed casinos, slot-machine halls, and online platforms.
Despite the rise in gambling cases, alcohol remains the largest addiction category in Dutch specialist care. Of nearly 68,000 people treated for addiction in 2025, 43% were primarily dealing with alcohol dependency. Among those over 55, the figure reached 60%.
Cannabis remained the top addiction issue among people under 25.
The LADIS data does not capture the full picture. The monitor tracks specialist services only, and not every provider reports to the system. The real number of people receiving gambling-related help is likely higher.
