Kansspelautoriteit Calls For Further Study On Link Between Social Games And Gambling

By Brian Cullingworth, Last updated Oct 6, 2017

Concern for young social gamers moving into real-money gambling

The Dutch gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), after gaining insight into the link between social gaming and gambling, has called for further consultation on the matter.

The KSA aims to further its insight, initially drawn from a SuperData Research Study, to delve deeper into the possible relationship between social gaming and problematic gambling behavior, especially among young people, by organising a round table discussion with addiction care institutions, representatives of young players and providers.

Citing findings from the SuperData Research report, the KSA said:

Around 50 percent of young Dutch people up to 24 years old had made the switch from social gaming to paid gambling;

There is ‘interconnection’ between free-to-play social and paid gambling games from the same provider;

Players of paid online gambling give 100 times more money than players of social games;

Social casino games in the Netherlands generate around Euro 27 million. Despite a decline over the past two years, this amount is twice the size it was in 2012.

The total market for online real-money gambling is ten times larger in monetary and player terms.

It’s estimated 4.1 million Dutch people engage in social casino gaming.

The KSA has expressed its concern on potential risk factors, including:

That playing social games may lead to the normalization of gambling;

That consumers aren’t always clear when a social game passes into a game of chance in which money prizes can be won.

“These risks can have a negative effect on players,” the KSA said. “For example, players can unconsciously pass from gaming into gambling, they may be misled about the nature of the game or may be at risk of addiction. The Kansspelautoriteit finds this worrying, especially when it comes to minors. The Gaming Act does not provide protection against the risks of social games.”

In related news, the KSA has awarded Fair Share Netherlands B.V. a 5-year non-incidental goodwill lottery license joining five other licensees that comprise: the National Postal Code Lottery N.V., FriendsLoterij N.V., BankGiro Lottery N.V., Lottovate Netherlands B.V., and Stichting Samenwerkende Non-profit Lotteries.

---