How Dutch union VVCS is fighting to protect players from country's growing gambling crisis

• Online gambling's rapid expansion in the Netherlands since its legalisation in 2021 has exposed footballers to greater risks
• Easy access and dressing-room pressure are fuelling welfare concerns, from addiction to declining performance
• Dutch union VVCS is strengthening education and confidential support to protect players and their careers

When the Netherlands legalised online sports gambling in October 2021, the doors to a new and largely unregulated world swung open almost overnight. For professional footballers, the consequences were swift and, in many cases, troubling.

Evgeniy Levchenko, Chairperson of Dutch player union VVCS, is working to protect players from those consequences.

"Suddenly gambling was everywhere. It changed a lot," Levchenko said of the legalisation. "It started as fun. Five euros here, a small bet there. But the access is constant, and there is pressure in the dressing room: players talking about odds, about tips from friends at other clubs, about what they’ve won or lost."

The speed with which gambling culture embedded itself inside Dutch football caught many off guard: clubs accepted sponsorship deals with multiple gambling operators and television broadcasts became saturated with advertisements.

Bored after training, with phone in hand, and with easy access to gambling platforms that could be set up in minutes, some players found themselves drawn in not necessarily by greed, but by the desire for stimulation – "a positive stress", as Levchenko describes it.

"They are competitive by nature," he said. "And don't forget the minds of young players are not fully developed. For me, this is the biggest threat."

Levchenko added: "The moment it becomes a welfare issue is when behaviour changes. Borrowing money. Hiding it. Fear. Form dropping. Relationships breaking down. We’ve seen divorces, financial collapse, mental health struggles."

A changing room culture nobody talks about

One of the most striking elements of the gambling issue in Dutch football is how normalised it has become in the spaces where players spend much of their time. Arne Nilis, a former professional footballer and son of PSV and Belgium legend Luc Nilis, battled a gambling addiction during his own playing career and now works as a recovery coach and speaker on problem gambling. "From personal experience, I know that online gambling is normalised in dressing rooms," Nilis has publicly said.

It is that normalisation that makes the issue difficult to confront – and those who develop a problem rarely feel they can speak openly about it. Levchenko has seen this silence manifest in alarming ways. "You see some of them getting divorced because they spend a lot of money on gambling. Their sporting performance goes down. It's not only about money – it's also your mindset, your performance as a footballer."

Helplines, captains' network and education

VVCS is tackling this issue via different methods. Their education programme visits all of the Netherlands’ first and second division men’s sides. 

Former professional players are central to this outreach, bringing authenticity that official presentations rarely can. One of those ex-professionals is Glenn Helder, the former Arsenal and Dutch international winger, whose career unravelled under the weight of gambling problems.

"When Glenn tells his story about losing everything, sleeping in his car, his family breaking apart – players listen. It becomes real."

Alongside this work, the VVCS has also integrated FIFPRO’s Red Button, an anonymous reporting tool of match-fixing approaches, into its club visits.

The union understands players find it difficult asking for help if it means identifying themselves. The solution, then, is to build a support structure that does not require them to.

At the heart of the system is a network of psychologists accessible online. Players can make appointments discreetly, with the first conversation typically happening remotely, with the psychologist then assessing whether further support is needed. The entire process is confidential.

"Some players want to go online and talk to a psychologist without knowing that I or the union knows," said Levchenko. "And that's fine. What matters is that they get help."

Equally important is the union's captain ambassador network at Dutch clubs. VVCS empowers them to act as a first point of contact, creating a trusted channel through which players can begin to seek support without the exposure of going directly to an official body.

"The captains are so important for us to gain confidence, to gain confidentiality, so that young players can freely talk to them first. And when you have that bond, you can show them the way."

Are clubs doing enough?

Despite the growing problem, Levchenko believes most clubs still underestimate the risks. "Many look away. They say it’s players' free time, their personal choice. But sooner or later it shows on the pitch."

He also questions how effectively betting regulations protect footballers, pointing out loopholes that allow players to gamble on leagues where they still have contacts and inside knowledge.

"The rules exist, but they are not strict enough. And education often falls on the union alone."

For VVCS, the end goal is not control but protection. "We want players to have long careers, healthy lives and strong futures. If we can reduce stigma, educate early and offer real support, we can prevent so much pain."

Levchenko is careful not to moralise. "I'm not here to say gambling is evil," he said. "But players must understand what it can do – not just to money, but to the mind, to performance, to careers."

His advice is simple: talk early, listen to those who have lived it, and don't face it alone. "Addiction is not something you can always fix by yourself. The sooner you speak, the easier it is to stop it becoming destructive."