It has been known for years that a lot of money goes into gaming. We are talking about anything that has to do with gambling. Think of the big lotteries in the Netherlands. In addition, the Toto and all branches of Holland Casino together.
The figures of 2018 do not lie. The figure in question is the Gross Gaming Result, or BSR for short. The calculation of the BSR is simple, the stake minus the prizes paid out. In 2018, the BSR was a whopping 2.63 billion euros, where it was 2.51 billion euros in 2017. An increase of 120 million euros, over 4.7%.
Lotteries responsible for largest share of BSR
The share of the big lotteries in this amount is no less than 47%, a huge share. The rest of the 2.63 billion euros comes for 41.5% from slot machines. The casino games contribute 10% and the last 1.5% comes from sports betting, with the Toto as purveyor.
These figures were published at the beginning of this month by the Dutch Gaming Authority. In a report called “Market scan land-based gaming 2020”, the Chancellor’s Office provides an overview of the legal gaming market. The most recent figures provide the basis for the report.
Dutch players spend less than the average European
The Market Scan shows that the Dutch player spends less on games of chance than the average European. It is clear to see that this differs per sector. If you look strictly and only at the lotteries, the Dutchman there again spends a little more than the other Europeans. This despite some very large lotteries in southern European countries. On the other hand, other Europeans spend much more on sports betting than the Dutch.
Spending by the Dutch player compared to Europeans
The Dutch player spends an average of about 198 euros in total per year. The average European spends 210 euros. Of the 198 euros, an average of 86 euros is spent on lotteries and only 13 euros on sports betting. For the average European it is 71 euros and 39 euros.
In the above table it should be noted that online games of chance are legalized and regulated in most EU countries. In our country this will only happen next year. This limits the comparability of the figures.
Slot Machines
As mentioned earlier, slot machines are responsible for 41.5% of the BSR. These are slot machines that can be found throughout the Netherlands, not only in Holland Casino but also in gambling halls and restaurants where these slot machines can be found. Depending on where they are set up, they have to comply with different legal requirements. They also have differences in terms of rules for wagering and payout percentage.
Gaming machines distribution BSR
The BSR of gaming machines totalled almost €1.1 billion in 2018, with the hospitality industry and gaming halls accounting for €763 million and Holland Casino establishments for €340 million.
Changes are not too bad
The latest Market Scan shows no shocking changes compared to the previous one presented in 2018. As expected, the Postcode Lottery and the State Lottery are still the largest “shareholders” of the BSR. A notable riser in the report is the Toto. As much as a 25% increase is going through the sports betting. Over 200 million was Toto’s contribution to the BSR in 2018.
Online games of chance
It should be noted that the Market Scan published by the KSA relates only to land-based gambling (also called land-based gambling). Online games of chance are still prohibited in the Netherlands. For now, because in 2021 this is going to change. Then the new Act on Remote Gaming (Wet KOA) will take effect.
It is expected that about 90 licenses will be issued to various providers of online gambling. Once online gambling becomes legal, the Ksa will include data on the online gambling market in new Market Scans. It goes without saying that the figures will then change considerably. At this moment, some 1.2 million Dutch people regularly place a bet at an online casino.