After two years of steady growth, it appears the online casino industry in the Netherlands is poised for more of the same in the coming year, according to the Dutch Gambling Authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). The country’s sole regulating agency responsible for all gambling-related issues recently revealed that while growth of the Netherlands’ regulated online market has begun to level off, the nascent gaming market is developing as expected as it matures.
Following years of political debate, the Remote Gambling Act (KOA) came into force on April 1, 2021, at which time the long-awaited legal market exploded. The law allowed operators to submit applications to the agency for a license to offer internet gambling in the Netherlands. The market officially opened on October 1, 2021, and a year later the total gaming gross result (BSR; stake minus prizes paid) amounted to €3.4bn ($4.13bn), which is especially worthy of mention as it marked the first full year of legal iGaming in the country.
Online Casino 2024
Earlier this year, the KSA said that based on “experiences abroad,” it expects a trend growth of 13 – 15 percent annually. We anticipate online casino 2024 to be on the higher end of that estimate. Meanwhile, according to Statista, the iGaming market in the Netherlands is forecasted to increase by 7.99 percent between 2023 and 2027, with the result a market volume of €1368.00 million in 2027.
Initially, 10 licenses were issued to operators by the supervising agency, and since then several more have made the cut, including ComeOn Group. Established in 2008 in Stockholm, the operator launched its flagship brand, ComeOn.nl, in 2010. The groundbreaking platform that allows for seamless gameplay across a variety of product providers launched in the Dutch market with leading international casino brand Bragg Gaming Group in November 2022. The partnership has made Bragg’s online slots and live casino games available to customers of ComeOn.nl in the Netherlands, as it delivers a wide array of aggregated third-party content, along with proprietary games and exclusive content via their leading partner studios.
The KSA’s objective when the online market opened over two years ago was to drive a minimum of eight in 10 players to regulated sites such as ComeOn.nl. A goal that was achieved, as nearly 93 percent of Dutch players now partake on authorized platforms, an increase of 1 percent from the previous six months. Furthermore, the lion’s share 98 percent) of new players, who prior to the market opening did not play, now use licensed sites.
iGaming Drivers
Internet gaming has flourished over the past few years, with market growth driven by a number of factors such as cryptocurrency and blockchain and accessibility. A person wanting to play online can now do so whenever and whereover, as long as they have a connection to the internet. More people are gaining access to high speed internet like 5G networks, enabling them to take advantage of digital platforms for entertainment. Online casinos have benefitted from this trend by loading their game lobbies with a diverse range of titles and services to accommodate players with varying preferences. The emergence of live dealer games, virtual reality (VR), and mobile gaming has seen the online casino experience become progressively immersive, attracting an even greater number of players to the market.
As we’ve seen, significant growth has not bypassed the Netherlands where according to industry reports several new operators will enter the market in the coming year. Companies like ComeOn Group have also grown significantly, running a wide range of brands across multiple markets and will continue to provide a stellar lineup of games to Dutch players. The Malta-headquartered operator boasts 5,650 games and 190 providers and is responsible for 15 different brands, including ComeOn! which is one of Scandinavia’s largest names in the online gaming market.