Sharp Increase in Traffic to Illegal Casinos in the Netherlands After Deposit Limits Were Introduced

New deposit restrictions have been introduced for online casinos in the Netherlands, leading to an unexpected surge in traffic to illegal gambling sites. According to a study conducted by the Responsible Partners Quality Mark (KVA), the number of searches related to unlicensed casinos increased sixfold—from 172,576 searches in October 2024 to over a million in March 2025.

Impact of Deposit Limits

In October 2024, new deposit limits were implemented for online casinos in the Netherlands: for most players, the limit was set to 700 euros per month, while for individuals aged 18 to 25, it was limited to 300 euros. Although players can request a higher limit, this requires income verification. The main goal of these measures is to reduce risks for players who increase their deposits and prevent high-loss gambling.

According to the KVA report, the number of searches for online casinos without these restrictions, such as “limitless casinos” or “casinos without Cruks” (the national self-exclusion system), has significantly increased following the introduction of the limits. This is confirmed by the growth in visits to illegal sites, from 172,576 in October 2024 to over a million in March 2025.

Study Results

Using the SEO tool Semrush, the study found that the number of domains associated with illegal casinos had significantly increased. In October, there were only 19 such domains, but by March, their number had risen to 72. This indicates a rise in the popularity of illegal gambling platforms among players.

Despite the positive effect of the introduced limits, such measures may have unpredictable consequences. Experts warn that further restrictions on legal advertising could lead to an even greater rise in interest in illegal platforms.

Problems with Further Restrictions

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has also expressed concerns about potential further restrictions in the online casino sector. In particular, the government is considering raising the minimum age for participating in online gambling to 21. However, regulators believe this could prompt more young players to seek illegal sites that do not provide consumer protection.

Furthermore, according to KSA reports, the number of players losing more than 1,000 euros per month has decreased from 4% to 1% after the introduction of the limits. However, they estimate that up to 50% of bets may now be lost on illegal platforms that are not regulated by the state.

Conclusion

Changes in Dutch legislation aimed at protecting players and regulating gambling have had the opposite effect, leading to an increase in traffic to illegal sites. This underscores the need for careful consideration of future regulations in this area to avoid boosting the popularity of illegal platforms.