KSA Chairman: Half of Dutch Gambling Spend Goes Illegal

Michel Groothuizen, chairman of Dutch gambling regulator KSA, stated that half of every euro spent by players on gambling in the Netherlands flows to the illegal market, according to a report by iGaming Times.

Groothuizen said this diversion costs the Dutch government more than €500 million in lost tax revenue annually. He noted that fines against illegal operators have proven largely ineffective, as companies frequently change legal entities and many are registered in jurisdictions where collecting owed funds is practically impossible. Groothuizen called for shifting the fight against illegal gambling to a European level, warning that tightening regulations on licensed operators without effective measures against the illegal market could accelerate the migration of players toward prohibited sites rather than curb it.

The chairman's comments highlight a growing tension facing Dutch regulators between maintaining strict compliance standards for licensed operators and preventing further erosion of the regulated market's player base. His call for coordinated European action reflects a broader recognition that unilateral national enforcement measures have struggled to keep pace with illegal operators' ability to relocate and rebrand across jurisdictions.