Netherlands to Open Gambling Harm Treatment Center in Amsterdam

The Netherlands’ National Information Center for Gambling Players (Slicks) is working on a new support center in Amsterdam. As announced by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands’ gambling authority, the new center will offer programs that help gamblers overcome gambling addiction.

The Center Will Help Problem Players Get Back in Control

According to the announcement, this pilot center will focus on treating gambling harm among people in Amsterdam. It will be located next to the Keizersgracht, one of the big canals in Amsterdam, and will encourage risky players in the area to seek help.

The treatment center will provide harmed players with the opportunity to share their stories and learn about the treatment they can receive. A big part of the project would be providing directions, information and advice to at-risk gamblers.

The facility will also offer meet-ups with recovering individuals who will connect with patients, helping them kick off their journey toward recovery.

The new facility in Amsterdam will furthermore offer individual programs, as well as workshops and networking opportunities.

The Center’s Success Will Be Evaluated in a Year

The KSA clarified that Slicks’ inaugural treatment facility was financed by the Dutch Addiction Prevention Fund (VPF). The fund was founded in 2021 and is responsible for distributing the proceeds from the Netherlands’ mandatory levy on gambling operators.

The fund is managed by the KSA, which redirects the resources toward a variety of harm-prevention initiatives.

The results achieved by Slicks’ first-of-its-kind facility are set to be evaluated a year after its opening. This evaluation will determine whether the center has achieved its targets to help people overcome their addiction.

Favorable results could mean an expansion of the existing center, as well as the opening of centers in other locations.

The KSA Stands Firm in Its Duties  

In the meantime, the KSA continues its regular duties as the Netherlands’ gambling regulator, banning and penalizing violators of its rules. One of its most recent decisions saw it impose a fine on Winning Poker Network, which allegedly offered illegal gambling to players in the country. After investigating the issue, the KSA found additional offenses and opted to raise the penalty.

Prior to that, the KSA tackled a number of ad-related violations in the local market. The Netherlands has been slowly restricting gambling ads but the new measures have proven somewhat difficult to follow by some operators. Because of that, the authority vowed to increase its oversight of gambling ads in 2025 and make sure to prevent or penalize as many regulatory breaches as possible.

Speaking of the Netherlands, Kindred’s Unibet brand recently came under fire for blocking lawsuits from former gamblers who are hoping to recover millions in gambling losses. The Unibet brand, for context, had illegally operated prior to the market’s regulation, prompting successful legal action from several former players. This caused the operator to take preemptive measures to block similar suits.