The number of players at legal providers increased slightly to 839,000, but total losses actually fell by 14 percent to 600 million euros. Per player, the average loss per month dropped from 146 euros to 119 euros.
“This declining trend can possibly be explained by the fact that, due to the newly introduced rules, players are diverting to the illegal offerings, where our rules do not apply,” warns the Ksa. “This is worrying because players on the illegal market are much less well protected.”
According to the Ksa, about 53 percent of online gambling money is being gambled illegally this year. At the same time, 94 percent of players only gamble legally, meaning that a small group of gamblers is responsible for much of the illegal turnover.
The Ksa stresses the importance of keeping the legal market attractive and protecting players from the risks of illegal gambling. New rules such as deposit limits and other measures for responsible gaming are having an effect on gamblers’ behavior, but the shift to illegal providers shows that there is still work to be done.
