Key points:
- The support centre will be located on the Keizersgracht
- It will provide a range of resources and opportunities for those experiencing gambling-related harm
- The pilot project is being funded by the Addiction Prevention Fund (VPF) through the KSA
The National Information Centre for Gambling Players (Slicks) in the Netherlands is setting up a new support centre for people experiencing gambling harm in Amsterdam.
The centre will be located on the Keizersgracht, one of the main canals in Amsterdam, and will encourage walk-ins.
The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), also known as the Dutch Gambling Authority, has confirmed the centre will be called the Steunpunt Gokschade Amsterdam.
People will be able to receive information, support and advice from both peers and experts, as well as attend counselling programmes, workshops and awareness sessions.
This pilot project is financed by the Addiction Prevention Fund (VPF) and will operate as a pilot project and will be assessed after a year of being open.
Good to know: The VPF was launched in 2021 through the Remote Gambling Act and is managed by the KSA. It is funded by an additional gambling levy on providers of high-risk games of chance
If the centre is deemed successful in achieving predetermined goals, then both an expansion and new, additional locations will be considered.
At the start of the year, the KSA confirmed in its Supervisory Agenda 2025 that supporting players who are experiencing gambling harm will be one of its primary focuses.
