From July 2025, gambling advertisements will be banned in the Netherlands. On the effects of this, Thomas Peeters, Associate Professor at Erasmus School of Economics, is quoted in an article by het Algemeen Dagblad.
This measure also has serious implications for the professional football sector, as 33 out of 34 clubs are sponsored by gambling companies. The consequence of legalising the online gambling market was soon clear. Online gambling increased and more gambling addicts sought help from addiction services. In July 2023, the first advertising restrictions took place, which seemed to have some effect.
Peeters agrees that there will definitely be an impact on Dutch clubs financially. Especially small clubs are, in his view, very vulnerable when it comes to sponsorship restrictions. In addition, Peeters points out that the sources of income in professional football in the Netherlands were already fairly unfairly distributed, not including gambling sponsors. This will increase the financial dominance of the bigger clubs.
According to Peeters, gambling companies can still reach the Dutch public through matches at international level despite these measures. The football fans will then still have an association with a particular gambling company, as they are already very well known in the Netherlands. Peeters therefore thinks these measures would be better regulated at European level to enforce the most effect.
- More information
You can download the full article of het Algemeen Dagblad, 2 January 2025, above.
