The most popular online games in The Netherlands
The iGaming market is bigger than ever before, and it looks like it will continue to grow in popularity over the coming years. With a much wider variety of game types and themes than ever before, technology improving to such a degree that it makes a lot more things possible within the landscape, and the gambling industry expanding to provide a fun and secure platform for online casinos and live dealers, there is excitement like we’ve never seen. The Netherlands is no exception, and since the relaxing of laws in 2021 than allowed for online gambling, there has been an explosion in popularity for online casinos.
- League of Legends
League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle game that has been popular the world over for over a decade. There is a team-based competitive game that is based on strategy and working to outplay opponents. Some players choose to work with their teammates to break down the enemy Nexus before their opponents break theirs. The more skilled players understand how to maximise attacks and maintain good defence. There are different tasks assigned as the game moves forward, looking to attack and dismantle the opposition defences and using their advantages to break the opposition Nexus.
- Royal Match
Royal Match is a puzzle game where you must solve puzzles, in a ‘match-three’ style. It has become one of the biggest online games in the whole world, with over 78 million downloads by the end of 2022. Players swipe colours, helping King Robert to refurbish his castle. There are thousands of levels that challenge the player within the Royal Arena, and it is loads of fun winning levels, unlocking new challenges and gaining boosters to help you along the way. There are even extra special competitions within the game, such as the King’s Cup and the Sky Race.
- Pokémon GO
Pokémon GO was an instant classic when it was first released, but it has continued to evolve and grow even bigger in the years since. Augmented reality updates and community-driven events and themes makes it a social online game as well as an enjoyable solitary one, for players both young and old. In the Netherlands in 2023 there have been two massive Pokémon GO events for players to attend in Eindhoven and Veldhoven, proving how popular the game is with Dutch people.
- The rise of playing in online casinos in The Netherlands
One of the most popular online gaming activities in the Netherlands is live casino. Before 2021, online gambling in the Netherlands was illegal, though it was a popular activity through people using their VPNs to access online casinos in different countries. By 2023 it was shown that there were 1.5 million active participants in online gambling, which is a large number for a country with a population of around 17.5 million.
Reasons for the Remote Gambling Act (KOA)
On 1 April 2021, the Remote Gambling Act (KOA) was enacted, when remote gambling became official in the Netherlands on 1 October 2021. There were good reasons to make this legislative change in the country. The first was that it was no impossible to ban online gambling as there were already huge numbers playing illegally through VPNs. By making it legal, the government could put in place legislation and regulations that offered greater levels of protection to consumers against fraud and abuse. Although the
Popular online casino games
Through a range of live casinos in the Netherlands, there are a few popular online casino games that are popular with Dutch people. These include:
Slots
In Dutch, slots are known as ‘gokkasten’ and they are extremely popular because of how many different themes and styles there are to choose from, and how easy and simplistic they are to pick up and play, even if you’ve never played the slots before. Book of the Dead and Wolf Gold are two of the most popular online slots in the Netherlands. Online slots have a high RTP of 96%+ in many cases, making it an attractive and appealing online game to play.
Table games
There are loads of table games in a casino to choose from, each with its own flow and style of play. Poker is tense and takes cunning and skill, whilst roulette is more of a fun, game of luck. These and blackjack do take a bit more skill and strategy than say the slots. Table games provide that social aspect that you’ll get in a real-life casino, with card games such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha High, some of the popular classic poker games.
Live dealers
The live dealer aspect of the live casino is a wonderful advancement in technology that has brought the thrills, spills, and social aspects of the casino floor direct to your living room. Professional croupiers are filmed live at their tables and beamed directly into your screen. They are immersive and authentic, with games like baccarat, blackjack, roulette, and more. You experience the same ambience as a physical casino, with social interaction through chat functions and the same fun you have if you’ve gone to the casino floor in real life.
The online casino craze continues at a fast pace in the Netherlands and across the world. With Covid-19 forcing people inside and looking for ways to stay entertained, it was a simple jump to see an increase in players looking to gamble online. Live dealers have changed the game, bringing the authentic casino atmosphere into the living rooms of consumers. In 2023 and beyond online games and online casino will continue to grow in popularity in the Netherlands.