New research from the Dutch Gaming Control Board shows that 3.8 percent of the Dutch population is involved in paid interactive Internet gambling.
This amounts to around 266,000 Dutch citizens between the ages of 18 and 55 years old. In comparison with the study in 2002, the number of participants in paid e-gaming has risen.
On average, participants spend 42 euro per month on this type of gaming. Yearly spending in the Dutch Internet gaming market ranges from 50 million euro to 134 million euro.
Paid interactive Internet games are played infrequently on a weekly or monthly basis. Playing time does usually not exceed a half hour.
The study, executed by Motivaction International, shows that almost one-third of e-gamers participated in these games using a company network, either at work or at home, whether during working hours or after hours.
The study further shows that long-term participation in paid e-gaming is not common.
One thousand eight hundred ninety-three Dutch Internet users between the ages 18 and 55 years old were
interviewed using an Internet-based questionnaire.
Nearly a quarter of the participants plays at least once a week; 50 percent plays once per month. There's also a correlation between frequency of participation and a fast Internet connection.
The profile of the e-gamers is: young male with low income.
Sports betting monopoly DeLotto is the exclusive rights holder of Internet gaming in The Netherlands. Last year DeLotto took on several foreign Internet gaming providers in the courts in a case that resulted in foreign operators being required to block Dutch players.
The main mission of the Dutch Gaming Control Board is to control the gaming monopolies. Although the board is an independent body, it comes under the political responsibility of the minister of justice, who also provides for the board's annual budget.
The turnover for Dutch monopolies in 2002, according to the Dutch Gaming Control Board, was 1.47 billion euros, broken down as follows:
State Lottery: 689.5 Million
Bankgiro Lottery: 70.7 Million
Sponsor Lottery: 68.3 Million
Postcode Lottery: 338.3 Million
Lotto, Sports Betting and Instant Lottery: 259 Million