Dutch city councilor calls for raising the legal age of gambling as debts among young people skyrocket

As the debt crisis deepens among young people in Enschede, the Netherlands, local politician Merriam Schmer of the CDA (Christian Democratic Party) has called for nationwide action to raise the minimum legal age for online gambling from 18 to 24.

She also called for tighter restrictions on pay now, buy later (BNPL) products and gambling advertising, according to a local report in AD on Monday.

Youth debt and advertising

According to recent city data cited by Schmel, who is also a city councilor and welfare official, one in five young people in Enschede is currently in debt.

In 2025, the city recorded 12,145 reports of people struggling with problem debt. Of those, 960 involved individuals at risk of eviction or disconnection from essential services.

The council actively engages around 4,000 residents facing financial hardship, representing around a third of cases, with an engagement rate significantly above the national average of around 20%.

Schmel emphasized that easy credit options and widespread access to online gambling play a central role in creating these economic challenges among young people in the Netherlands.

She noted that “many young people do not yet have the financial awareness to manage the multiple subscriptions, installment purchases and gambling offers that appear on social media and within mobile games,” warning that these factors combine to cause “serious problems” for communities.

Schumer also pointed out that gambling advertising is an ongoing problem. The Netherlands has maintained strict gambling advertising regulations since 2013 through the Law on Gambling Recruitment, Advertising and Addiction Prevention, with a ban on gambling advertising in public places coming into force in 2022.

Additionally, this mandate prohibits advertising that targets individuals under 24 years of age. Nevertheless, a recent study found that 31 out of 277 Metaplatform ads (11.2%) targeted age groups including 18-23 year olds.

Gambling age raised to 24

In response to these trends, Schumer advocated for the legal minimum age for online gambling to be raised from the current 18 to 24 years. While he acknowledged that a complete ban on these products would be desirable, he acknowledged that this was unlikely to happen in the short term.

“The key is to reduce temptation (‘verleidingen’),” she said, arguing for stronger regulations to protect young people from exposure that can lead to problem gambling and accumulating debt.

Schmel is not the first person to advocate for an increase in the gambling age. In February last year, Teun Strücken, former Secretary of State for Legal Protection, proposed raising the age limit for online slots to 21. This would have been in parallel with the age limit for comprehensive deposit limits.

This was not without controversy. The chairman of the Dutch Gambling Regulatory Authority (KSA) warned against such changes, suggesting young people would be tempted into the black market.

“We are already seeing minors engaging in this behavior, and for those under 21, while they can still access illegal supplies with a few clicks of the mouse, they will no longer be able to attend legal parties and must adhere to strict duties of care,” he said in a blog post in February 2025.

A step-by-step approach?

A month later, a parliamentary debate took place. Strücken suggested a phased approach to changing the age to prevent young people from being drawn into the black market.

In response to the conversation, Christian Union Leader Bicker expressed concern about raising the age limit for gambling, noting that it would be difficult to enforce an age increase across industries like slots. She instead proposed a flat age limit of 21 for all gambling.

Raising the minimum age for gambling and credit use to 24 is unprecedented in Europe, where 18 is generally the norm.

Schmel is urging other local government and political parties to press national lawmakers for reform.