KSA Deploys OpenOverGokken and Gokstop Campaigns to Drive Early Youth Gambling Discussions
KSA launched OpenOverGokken for parents and Gokstop for at-risk 16-25 year olds to promote early gambling harm talks and accessible help. This follows data showing 18-23 year olds hold 22% of accounts despite being 9.2% of adults, with 11% of 18-year-old registrations on their birthday. Evaluations will track awareness and self-exclusion uptake.
SCCG Take — The dual focus on prevention before crisis favors operators who tighten youth-facing marketing now, yet persistent age-rise calls indicate possible tighter Dutch rules ahead.
The Netherlands’ gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has launched two public-awareness campaigns to encourage earlier conversations about gambling harm and simplify help-seeking for young people.
The initiatives target teenagers and young adults aged 16 to 25, as well as parents, relatives, and friends who can identify warning signs. One campaign, OpenOverGokken, launches in early November and focuses on caregivers of this age group. It frames gambling as a topic to address proactively alongside subjects such as sex and online safety. The drive draws on the OpenOverGokken.nl portal introduced in 2025, which supplies independent information and conversation tools.
The second campaign operates under the Gambling Stop (Gokstop) banner. It addresses young adults already facing problems or at elevated risk, stressing that a decision to stop need not follow a crisis. The messaging also prompts family members to recognize issues and assist with entry to the national self-exclusion and support programme.
Shift to Early Recognition and Accessible Help
Collectively the campaigns move away from previous Gokstop emphasis on life after cessation. They instead highlight early identification of harm and straightforward first steps, using routine situations to reduce barriers. The KSA notes that social media, online video, advertising, and in-game content represent common exposure channels for this demographic. Local politician Meryam Sümer of the CDA has called for raising the minimum legal online gambling age from 18 to 24.
Statistics Underpinning the Regulatory Push
The launch follows KSA annual and semi-annual reports showing that individuals aged 18-23 represent about 22% of legal gambling accounts while comprising roughly 9.2% of the adult population. For the first half of 2026, the average monthly loss on accounts used by 18-23-year-olds was €34. An earlier survey found that in 2024-25, 11% of accounts opened by 18-year-olds were registered on their birthday, with 38% registered within a month.
According to reporting by iGaming Business, the KSA is expected to release follow-up evaluation data. Potential measures of success include shifts in public awareness, traffic to OpenOverGokken.nl, and new registrations with Gokstop.
The campaigns signal a deliberate regulatory preference for upstream dialogue and timely intervention over waiting for acute harm to surface.
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