Ksa is launching a new campaign ahead of the World Cup, ‘Don’t let yourself be lost’, as scrutiny of sports betting increases.
The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has launched a public awareness campaign targeting young adults ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in North America on 11 June.
The campaign, titled Laat je niet zoek spelen, loosely translated as “Don’t lose yourself in the game”, centres on the risks of sports betting among an age group regulators consider particularly vulnerable.
To open the campaign, Amsterdam street-art collective Kamp Seedorf painted a mural in honour of former Dutch international Glenn Helder.
Helder, who played for the Netherlands’ national side and spent years publicly discussing his own gambling problems, appears as the campaign’s main spokesman.
He said as part of the campaign: “Football should be something you enjoy. With betting, you can lose much more than money. I know what it is like to lose yourself and also how important it is to find yourself again. That’s why I say to young people: don’t let yourself be lost.”
Helder was interviewed at the mural by influencer and footballer Noah Zeeuw, who will continue producing content throughout the tournament. Zeeuw will share material across Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.
The authority’s chairman, Michel Groothuizen, has been direct about the campaign’s target audience.
Young adults, he noted, tend to view sports betting as something categorically different from gambling, a distinction regulators say is both common and dangerous.
The campaign is designed not to lecture, but to illustrate through recognisable stories how quickly small bets can escalate.
KSA increases scrutiny of operators
The push arrives against a sharply tightened regulatory backdrop in the Netherlands.
The authority has already sent warning letters to licensed operators, reminding them that the Netherlands’ ban on untargeted advertising remains fully in force.
Certain micro-betting markets, including wagers on first corner kicks and yellow cards, remain prohibited outright. Unibet was fined €450,000 last year for offering unauthorised sports bets between October 2022 and May 2025.
Dutch gambling levies climbed to 37.8% in 2026, and industry revenues fell 18.5% after the first round of tax increases. The regulator also issued a record €25m penalty to illegal operator Novatech earlier this year.
The Dutch are not acting alone. Belgium’s Gaming Commission issued its own operator reminder on 20 May, reinforcing rules that prohibit online operators from offering free bets, cashback or any form of bonus under Article 60 of the country’s Gambling Act.
France, meanwhile, rolled out a new algorithm to identify high-risk bettors before bet365 entered the market this month.
French regulators also disclosed that players classified as high-risk account for roughly 60% of gross gaming revenue.
Research firm Jumio published survey data this week showing 63% of consumers worldwide are worried about minors accessing sports betting apps during the World Cup. Meanwhile, 47% of respondents said betting was part of how they planned to enjoy the tournament.