Young Dutch Adults Consider Sports Betting This Summer, Says Study

Several years ago, in October 2021, the Netherlands legalized online gambling. This paved the way for the expansion of sports betting, which has been gaining popularity across the Old Continent.

Last week Friday, the UEFA Euro 2024 kicked off with a match in Munich, Germany. This is the first European Championship Dutch players will be able to place legal wagers on. Newly released research data highlights the popularity of the championship, especially among young people who are likely to place wagers on soccer matches this summer.

As announced by NOS, citing data from a representative study of the government support center for people with gambling problems, Loket Kansspel, an overwhelming majority of the Dutch youth are likely going to participate in betting. The latest study was conducted by Ruigrok, a leading research agency, that interviewed nearly 1,000 young adults between the ages of 18 and 24.

Surprisingly, more than half of the interviewed young adults said they plan to wager on soccer matches. Some 30% of the respondents said they are likely to participate in wagering in the near future while another 32% said that they “might” place a bet.

The Study Uncovers a Common Misconception among Bettors

The latest research highlighted that 78% of the young people considered that they can increase their chances of winning sports wagers by accumulating knowledge for a particular sport. This is a common misconception among bettors and while experience is important it doesn’t mean that the outcome of any wager is guaranteed.

Tony van Rooij, an expert with the Trimbos Institute which played an important role in the new study, said that the misconception among bettors is one of the biggest pitfalls when it comes to sports betting.

Moreover, the expert said that the outcome of sports games cannot be predicted with the help of knowledge. Finally, Van Rooij said that excessive gambling can have a detrimental impact on the people affected.

“Sports results cannot be predicted based on knowledge and skill. It remains a matter of luck and chance. Very risky, because long-term and persistent gambling can lead to major problems for yourself and others.“

Tony van Rooij, expert with the Trimbos Institute

In addition to the plans to participate in wagering, the study shared insights about the spending on the activity among young adults. Concerningly, 44% of the bettors admitted to spending more than they can afford and nearly all of the respondents agreed that wagering on matches can have a “negative outcome.”

Euro 2024 had only recently started. Its impact on Dutch players and how involved they would be in wagering remains to be seen.