The Netherlands' Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) has released guidance for journalists and editors covering gambling and gambling harm. Its announcement, dated 27 October 2026, draws attention to word choices, the portrayal of people experiencing harm and the inclusion of information about seeking support.

The regulator's announcement presents the publication as a resource for careful reporting, including news and human-interest coverage. Ksa says media framing influences how the public views gambling. It hopes support notices will become more widely used in gambling articles.

For publishers, the immediate news is an editorial reference document. The announcement does not introduce a new licensing condition, penalty or compulsory disclaimer deadline.

Language and images are part of the guidance

The six-page Dutch document sets out eight considerations, followed by a word-choice table and a short checklist. Its recommendations include factual context, current information and attention to product risks and the industry's role, alongside individual behaviour.

It recommends describing people without reducing them to a label, and asking interviewees how they wish to be described. Recovery and social support also belong in the account. For images, it favours neutral choices over gambling machines or flashing screens that could make the activity attractive or act as a trigger.

The document recommends directing audiences towards support and refers to OpenOverGokken in the Netherlands. That is a geographically specific referral, not a substitute for checking the appropriate service for an international audience. The guide is in Dutch; this report summarises it in English rather than reproducing an official translation.

What an editor can check before publication

An editorial team can use the resource to review a story's headline, illustration, interview language and support information together. A neutral body text can still sit beside a promotional-looking image or a headline that gives an exceptional outcome undue prominence.

Three practical questions follow for a publishing workflow:

  • Does the title describe the documented event, or turn an unusual personal outcome into an implied norm?
  • Does the selected image explain the subject without making an unsupported claim about a named person, business or product?
  • Are any sources, statistics and support links current and appropriate to the audience being addressed?

Those are editorial checks suggested here, not additional requirements quoted from Ksa. A publisher should also keep its reporting standards distinct from an advertiser's copy or an operator's consumer terms. Our editorial standards explain the publication's own evidence and corrections framework.

Keep the scope of the announcement clear

The publication concerns reporting practice. It should not be presented as a change to Dutch gambling permissions, an endorsement of a particular operator or a finding about the accuracy of an individual news story. The separate Netherlands licensing guide covers market-access questions.

This report checks the announcement and the complete guidance document. It does not independently assess the research cited in the guide or claim that adopting the checklist produces a measured reduction in harm. Readers looking for support rather than licensing or media information can use our responsible-gambling resources to find a relevant starting point.