The Dutch gambling regulator has raised fresh concerns that betting is becoming socially normalised in the Netherlands, a shift it says may quietly increase participation while making problem gambling harder to detect.
New research commissioned by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) for the public information platform OpenOverGokken found that 24% of respondents believe gambling is considered normal behaviour within their social circle. The survey, based on responses from 1,000 Dutch adults, suggests that betting is increasingly embedded in everyday social dynamics rather than viewed as a risky activity. It is less about casinos and more about ordinary conversations.
The perception gap is striking. Among men, 32% said gambling is seen as normal among friends or family, compared with 16% of women. That gap alone says something about how differently the activity is framed.
Social influence driving participation
The regulator flagged this “romanticisation” effect as a structural risk. If gambling is treated as routine, like ordering drinks or joining a fantasy league, social pressure can quietly push individuals toward participation. It stops looking exceptional and starts looking expected.
The data appears to support that theory. Around 43% of respondents said they would be less likely to gamble if no one around them did. Meanwhile, 22% reported having regular gamblers in their immediate social environment.
When gambling is discussed, respondents said conversations overwhelmingly focus on wins and success stories. Nearly one in five reported frequently hearing that gambling is an easy way to make money quickly. Losses are less visible, or at least less talked about. That imbalance matters more than it first appears.
Harm still seen as personal failure
The study also exposed persistent misconceptions about gambling-related harm. Three-quarters of respondents, 75%, said gambling problems result primarily from poor personal decisions, framing addiction as a matter of individual weakness rather than behavioural vulnerability.
At the same time, 76% acknowledged it is not always easy to recognise when someone is experiencing gambling harm. Only 11% explicitly associated gambling with wider life consequences such as sleep disruption, relationship strain, or work performance issues.
This combination, moral judgement paired with low visibility, creates what regulators describe as a “hidden harm” dynamic. It is a harsh framing, and perhaps an uncomfortable one, but it reflects how responsibility is often assigned.
A taboo that discourages help
Perhaps more concerning for policymakers is the stigma attached to gambling addiction. Almost one-third, 29%, of respondents said they would not seek help if they developed a gambling problem. More than a third, 34%, admitted they would struggle to confront someone about harmful gambling behaviour.
For the KSA, this reinforces the idea that harm often escalates quietly, shielded by both normalisation and social discomfort. It does not erupt; it builds in the background.
OpenOverGokken as counterweight
KSA chairman Michel Groothuizen said the findings underline why the regulator launched the OpenOverGokken platform in October as a successor to Loket Kansspel. The platform is designed to provide independent information, guidance and pathways to support.
According to Groothuizen, gambling problems rarely emerge suddenly. They tend to develop gradually and remain unnoticed precisely because gambling is increasingly perceived as socially acceptable. In his view, when behaviour becomes normalised, warning signs blend into the background. It sounds obvious, but the data suggests it is not.
What this signals for the Dutch market
The Netherlands liberalised its online gambling market in 2021, but political and regulatory pressure has intensified in recent years amid concerns over advertising saturation and rising player losses.
This latest research suggests the debate may be shifting from advertising volume alone to deeper cultural effects, how betting is discussed, perceived and integrated into social life. It is not just about ads on television. It is about how friends talk about a weekend win.
For regulators, the challenge is no longer just controlling marketing exposure. It is counterbalancing a narrative where gambling is framed as entertainment, opportunity, or even financial shortcut.
If nearly a quarter of adults already view gambling as socially normal, the next policy battleground may not be access, but perception. Or at least that is how the regulator seems to read it.