The Dutch government is releasing €21m of additional funding for the research and treatment of problem gambling. 

With the last substantial funding round taking place in 2023, the ZonMw Prevention of Gambling Addiction research programme will enter its next stage of development.  Grants towards the programme are managed by the Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). 

The details around the latest funding were cleared after a meeting between KSA President Michel Groothuizen and ZonMw Director, Véronique Timmerhuis. 

Groothuizen said: “The protection of players is an important priority for the KSA. By continuing this program further, we are joining forces to gather more necessary knowledge on this subject, so that we avoid gambling damage as much as possible.” 

Running from 2025 to 2030, the programme will tie in research, prevention and treatment efforts into the correlation between gambling harm, its triggers and consequences like financial and health issues. 

Work will span across five distinctive projects: vulnerability and player behaviour, early detection, treatment, experimental participation, and the further development of overarching support infrastructure. 

The first results will be published within a year, with ZonMw leveraging its digital communication channels to raise awareness about the programme.

Timmerhuis added: ‘It is good that this program aimed at gambling addiction will be continued. A lot of knowledge development is still needed to achieve effective approaches, and to ensure that those approaches are properly put into practice. 

“ZonMw can also contribute expertise from other mental health domains and thus play a good connecting role. Step by step we are working on knowledge to better help people with addictions in the future.”

Governing Dutch gambling,  Michel Groothuizen has underlined the importance of customer care and one-to-one interactions to ensure intervention with vulnerable and at-risk customers, as a principal duty of operators reporting to the KSA.

Speaking at this year’s Gaming in Holland event, Arjan Blok, CEO of the Nederlandse Loterij, estimated that as much as 25% of the Dutch player share is owned by black market operators.

However, the much needed reforms to expand the scope of player protection in the country are currently being put on ice, with Teun Struycken, the Minister responsible for gambling oversight, handing over his resignation earlier this week.

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