KSA funds €2m Early Detection of Gambling Harm Plan

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Gambling Authority of the Netherlands, has agreed to fund the establishment of an Early Detection of Gambling Harm Partnership (SVSG).

Announced this morning as a principal project of the regulator, the KSA confirmed it will allocate €2m from the Addiction Prevention Fund to build a nationwide framework for earlier identification of gambling harm and faster access to support services.

The SVSG brings together four core organisations at the centre of Dutch public health and social care: the Trimbos Institute, the Dutch Association of Addiction Specialists (VKN), the Municipal Health Service (GGD GHOR Netherlands) and the Dutch Debt Assistance Route (NSR).

The regulator’s collaboration with Trimbos and the national addiction-care network is longstanding. Both groups previously supported the KSA in the development of its gambling addiction action plan, including the creation of treatment pathways, research guidelines and the customer-care training standards that licensed operators must meet to detect early signs of harm.

The new partnership will extend this work into the broader social domain, ensuring that municipalities, addiction services, debt advisers and peer-support groups can respond earlier and more consistently.

KSA underlined that the programme addresses a persistent national concern: gambling harm in the Netherlands is often identified too late. An estimated 209,000 people are at high risk of addiction, yet only a small proportion seeks treatment. Shame, financial stress and uncertainty about available support continue to deter people from accessing help until problems escalate.

By establishing the SVSG, the regulator aims to introduce an integrated early-detection model across healthcare, social services and local government—similar in structure to the 2019 national partnership for alcohol harm (SVA), which has shown the value of coordinated early-intervention strategies.

The SVSG will guide municipalities on embedding early-detection practices into local policy, facilitate nationwide knowledge exchange and ensure that training programmes, e-learning modules and clinical guidelines evolve with new evidence.

A pilot phase will launch in early 2026 across five municipalities, where local core teams, VKN regional officers and NSR project leaders will work together to identify and refer gambling problems at an earlier stage. Existing educational materials will be assessed and expanded where needed.

A broader training effort will also target frontline workers across the social domain, as well as students entering relevant professions, equipping them to recognise early indicators of gambling harm and confidently refer individuals to support. A national online environment will serve as a central hub for best-practice sharing.

From 2027, the model will scale to at least 15 municipalities, forming a consistent nationwide approach.The KSA stressed that the creation of the SVSG and the execution of its multi-year programme will not be disrupted by any political changes linked to the new Dutch government taking shape in 2026. The partnership is anchored in the national addiction-prevention framework and will continue irrespective of shifts in legislative priorities.

KSA chairman Michel Groothuizen welcomed the initiative, stating: “Many organisations have been working hard for years to reduce gambling harm, but often in isolation. With this partnership, we permanently bring together knowledge, healthcare, debt counselling and local partners. This makes it easier to find help, and players can get the support they need more quickly. This is an important step towards better consumer protection.”