Kansspelautoriteit

Success by numbers

48m

impressions among primary and secondary target audiences

63

broadcast items across national and regional outlets

693k

social reach via influencers and youth-focused channels

Data-driven PR and influencer partnerships to raise awareness of sports betting risks among Dutch young adults.

The partnership

During the sports summer of 2024, Clarity partnered with the Dutch Gambling Authority (Ksa) to reach a vulnerable audience: young adults aged 18–24. Since online gambling legalisation in 2021, this group has faced a sharp rise in betting advertising, heightening the risk of problematic gambling behaviour.

Ksa, as the national regulator, carries a dual mandate: enforce gambling laws and prevent addiction and abuse. With the European Football Championship and the Olympic Games driving unprecedented excitement, gambling operators were set to invest heavily in marketing.

Against this backdrop, Ksa needed to cut through a noisy commercial environment with a clear, credible prevention message. The strategic objective was to make the risks of sports betting visible at scale and help young adults recognise that while gambling can be fun, playing consciously is the real win.

Systematising impact

Clarity anchored the strategy in evidence. A survey of around 1,000 young adults quantified attitudes and behaviours around sports betting, confirming that one‑third regularly bet on sports and six in ten planned to do so during the sports summer. This data underpinned every message, ensuring that communication about addiction risks felt factual, not moralising.

Clarity then designed a multichannel framework to meet different audiences where they are. For young people, influencers such as Skere Student and Thibo translated financial risk into relatable content on the platforms they use daily. In parallel, Clarity drove a sustained PR programme across national, regional, and trade media, extending reach to parents, teachers, and other stakeholders.

Working alongside an external social media agency on the “Don’t play games with your money” campaign, Clarity helped build a unified, insight-led prevention narrative that invited young people to reflect on their own gambling behaviour.

Achieving global growth

Thanks to Clarity’s proactive approach, which included research among the target audience and the use of influencers, we observed increased traffic to our information pages about safe gambling during the campaign period. In this way, Clarity helped us achieve our ultimate goal: raising awareness among young people about the dangers of sports betting.

Marloes Derks

Senior Spokesperson, Dutch Gambling Authority (Ksa)

Internal alignment

Turned Ksa’s dual role of enforcement and prevention into a single, coherent communications platform focused on conscious play.
Used robust audience research to align internal stakeholders around the scale of youth betting and the need for a data‑driven narrative.

Commercial momentum

Delivered more than 48 million potential impressions across priority audiences in just three months.
Secured 63 broadcast items and 47 online and print publications across national, regional, and specialist media, including NOS, NPO1, AD, FunX, Omroep Brabant, and Noordhollands Dagblad.
Achieved 693,100 social media reach via influencers and channels such as NOS Stories, directing young people towards tools like an anonymous test to assess their gambling behaviour.

Global growth

Demonstrated that a data‑driven, multichannel prevention strategy can cut through a crowded commercial environment and meaningfully shift awareness.
Strengthened Ksa’s position as a proactive, evidence‑led regulator, improving visibility and trust among young adults and the wider public.