ShareIf you’ve been paying attention to the general online gambling industry in the Netherlands, you must have noticed one thing: the sector is making significant strides. IMARC Group recently valued it at $2.533 million and predicted it could hit $5.226 billion by 2033. That will be an average annual growth rate of more than 8% in just eight years! And this growth trend has the same momentum in niche sectors like poker.
This explains why many operators have been racing to secure their share of the Dutch Market. Take PartyPoker Nederland, for instance. It has already applied for a gambling license and is awaiting approval. Of course, as many such operators eye the market, competition only intensifies.
As such, operators will have to do much more in the coming years to stand out, providing reasonable grounds for a new future in online poker. At the same time, the regulations governing the sector will become even clearer, as operators will be expected to provide safe and entertaining poker experiences while navigating strict compliance rules. Considering all these factors, you want to stay around to learn about what the future holds for poker players and the industry at large.
Mobile-friendly designs will become so common
Well, playing poker on a desktop is much more engaging than playing it on a mobile because desktops have larger screen sizes. But the challenge with desktops is that you can’t carry them around and use them flexibly like your smartphone or tablet. And since most modern gamblers want convenience, it makes sense to see most of them turning to their mobiles to immerse themselves.
In addition, mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular in the Dutch community. Data Reportal conducted a study in early 2025 and found over 25.3 million active mobile connections in the country. Surprisingly, this figure equals about 138% of the country’s population. Given that most of these connections have access to the internet, it’s pretty clear that mobile platforms will become the primary battleground for online poker operators in the Netherlands.
In practice, this means licensed casinos must invest heavily in responsive apps and seamless user interfaces to capture and retain players. Convenience is king, and when a user can launch a tournament from their phone on the train, during lunch break, or anywhere else, it changes the way poker is consumed. Coupling that with the growing need for mobile-friendly experiences, licensed casinos must go beyond just making their apps accessible.
According to UXCam, providing mobile-friendly designs can be a competitive advantage because it can encourage up to 74% of shoppers to become regular buyers. Elsewhere, BusinessDasher says responsive mobile platforms have an 11% higher conversion rate than non-responsive ones. Considering such statistics, you wouldn’t want to fail to optimize your platform for mobile; otherwise, you risk being left behind.
Personalization will become the norm
Did you know that, according to Contentful, almost eight in ten (76%) express frustrations when they don’t get personalized shopping experiences? But since no one wants to sustain such a loss, businesses are increasingly opening their doors to personalization. And the Dutch online poker market is no exception. As operators fight to retain players in a competitive environment, tailoring the experience to the individual will likely become standard practice in the coming days.
Personalization matters because poker thrives on community and sustained engagement. Players often stick around because the ecosystem feels familiar and aligned with their goals. If they find experiences contradicting these preferences, they may as well turn to competitors. According to Progress Software, 45% of shoppers will likely take their business elsewhere if brands fail to offer personalized experiences. This figure could increase, especially now that customer preferences are constantly changing.
To ensure relevance, casinos will lean heavily on data science and AI-driven recommendations to fine-tune their interactions with target audiences. For instance, a recreational player who enjoys low-stakes tournaments may start seeing targeted promotions such as freerolls on weekends or beginner-friendly strategy tips pushed directly to their dashboard. Providing such experiences can be handy, as Storyly claims they can improve retention by up to 60%.
Regulations and the offshore gambling market
The tight gambling regulations in the Netherlands can make it challenging for casinos to operate here. Consider the 2023 ban on untargeted advertising, for instance. This ban made it illegal to advertise gambling promos on TV, radio and billboards. If you are to advertise online, you must prove to the Dutch regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), that at least 95% of your targeted advertising reached an audience of 24 years or older.
Of course, such regulations can make it difficult for licensed casinos to operate here because of increased operations costs. And if you have to survive, you must cut on bonus offers and find other creative ways to attract and retain players without breaching rules. But the challenge of reducing bonuses is that it gives offshore operators an upper hand, since they can ignore local restrictions and lure Dutch players with more aggressive promos. For licensed operators, this only translates to more competition.
All in all, the future of online poker in the Netherlands is shaping up to be both promising and demanding. While trends like the growing popularity of mobiles provide great opportunities to stand out, licensed operators will also have to think about how they will get ahead of the expanding offshore industry amid changing regulations.
