The opening of the market to online gambling in the Netherlands has had a major impact on the traditional market.
This is confirmed by the data relating to the 2023 gambling market that the Dutch regulator publishes for the year 2022. This time the comparison was also made with the online gambling market, which for the first time in 2022 it recorded activity over 12 months. This comparison shows that there has been a clear change in casino games from physical to online ones.
Total gross gaming revenue (bets minus prizes paid) for legal gambling amounted to €3,4 billion in 2022, compared to net revenue of €2 billion in 2021. Part of this growth is due to the increase in online gambling, but also to an increase in the land-based offer compared to the previous year. Brick-and-mortar casinos, arcades and food and beverage establishments were closed for several months in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Market analysis shows that the online gambling market (31% of total spending) is smaller than the traditional gambling market (69%). Casino games made up the majority of the total market in 2022 (56%). Lottery revenue grew slightly. The sports betting industry grew from 4% in 2021 to nearly 10% in 2022 (8% of which was online).
Impact of the opening of the online market
In this market analysis, a comparison was made for the first time between online and traditional gaming offers. Something has changed, especially in the field of casino games. Compared to 2019, the last year without closures due to the covid pandemic, the collection of casino games (both traditional and online) increased from 1,5 billion euros to 1,9 billion euros. This increase is mainly due to the legalization of online casino games, because spending on traditional casino games (table games, gaming machines and catering machines) decreased by 30% compared to 2019. This sector has therefore witnessed to a shift towards online. It should be noted that the land market may not yet have returned to pre-coronavirus levels and could recover further.
Compared to other Europeans, the Dutch spend on average 14% less on gambling. In most European countries, more money is spent on traditional gambling than on online gambling; this is also the case in the Netherlands. In 2022, Dutch adults spent an average of 258 euros on gambling at licensed providers. In 2021 this was 158 euros, taking into account the closure of physical casinos, arcades and catering establishments during the coronavirus, while in 2019 it was 221 euros. This amount is also higher because the spending of players who were playing illegally online before October 1, 2021 were not included, but are now included if they play with legal providers.
In the market analysis, the regulator describes the state of affairs and current developments in various gambling sectors. It is based on public sources such as the annual reports of different providers and therefore focuses on the previous year. The purpose of the market analysis is to provide detailed information on the gaming market and collect the necessary information for adequate supervision. The following sectors are included in the analysis: lotteries, sports betting, casino games and gaming machines.
Italy is second in the ranking for per capita spending on gambling. In first place we find the United Kingdom.
