More than 100,000 people in the Netherlands have now voluntarily blocked themselves from gambling, Trouw reported on Wednesday.

The milestone was passed last week, according to figures from the gambling authority’s exclusion register Cruks, which was introduced in 2021 alongside the legalisation of online gambling.

Anyone who fears they may lose control near slot machines or roulette tables can register with Cruks using their DigiD. All legal casinos, arcades and gambling websites are then required to deny them access.

The number of registrations has been rising steadily, with 300 to 500 people signing up each week. Half are under the age of 32 and most opt for a minimum ban of six months, Trouw said.

“Many people remain registered even after the initial six-month cooling-off period,” a spokesman for the gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit told the paper. “We want to prevent impulsive decisions.”

Not foolproof

While the system offers a layer of protection that does not exist for other addictions, it is not watertight. Problem gamblers can still access illegal sites, some of which openly advertise that Cruks registrations do not apply.

A survey last year found that nine in ten gamblers had never heard of Cruks. The Kansspelautoriteit is now working to raise awareness, including through late-night billboard campaigns near arcades and outreach to doctors and other professionals.

The national addiction watchdog said last year that tens of thousands of people have been hit by financial problems as a result of the way online gambling was legalised four years ago.

Legal online gambling was introduced to the Netherlands in 2021, with the government saying a regulated legal market would make it easier to help people who were gambling illegally on foreign websites.

Instead, a string of reports have shown how the measures led to an explosion in people becoming addicted and building up debts. In total, 27 companies offering 37 different labels now have a licence to operate in the Netherlands.