The Netherlands is strengthening its commitment to tackling gambling-related harm by extending the Prevention of Gambling Addiction programme for another five years, supported by a €21 million investment.
The initiative is jointly overseen by the Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch Gaming Authority, and ZonMw, the national body for health research and innovation.
Speaking at the launch, KSA Chairman Michel Groothuizen stressed that “player protection is a key priority for the KSA,” noting that increased investment in research and knowledge is vital to reducing gambling harm.
ZonMw’s Managing Director, Véronique Timmerhuis, highlighted gambling addiction as a “pressing social issue” that requires effective solutions and closer integration with broader mental health care.
The 2025-2030 programme will finance research across five main themes: player vulnerability and behaviour, early risk detection, treatment methods, lived experience and participation, and the creation of a national knowledge infrastructure.
ZonMw will further back initiatives that turn research insights into practical interventions, ensuring they are applied effectively in prevention and treatment.
Outcomes from projects initiated under the first programme were showcased at the international Current Advances in Gambling Research conference in Amsterdam in 2024 and 2025, with initial findings due to be published in the coming year.
