The Dutch government will retain control of both Nederlandse Loterij and Holland Casino. This move aims to support the reform of online gambling laws. It also seeks to strengthen player protection efforts.
State Secretary Van Oostenbruggen said in his letter to parliament that the government may reconsider privatization in the future.
The state secretary’s letter addressed the impact of recent gambling tax hikes on Holland Casino, the country’s monopoly land-based operator. It said the government would also not privatize Holland Casino. However, it was in talks with the operator to mitigate the impact of increased taxes.
Petra de Ruiter, Chief Executive of Holland Casino warned in August that any further tax increases would make it impossible for Holland Casino to operate profitably.
With the second expected in January 2026, the first iteration of the gambling tax hike came into force in January.
In his letter, Van Oostenbruggen emphasized that the focus for Holland Casino must be on ensuring the organization’s continuity. During the committee debate on state participations on November 28, 2024, he mentioned ongoing discussions with Holland Casino regarding the impact of the increased gambling tax. This increase is putting pressure on the continuity of the company. These discussions are about measures that can promote recovery and options to tackle the challenges.
The operator has started a number of measures to protect it from the tax impact, including a reorganization of the head office, reducing marketing costs, adjusting the opening hours and game proposition and range and closing a branch in Zandvoort and numerous other cost savings.
Holland Casino has reached an agreement with tax authorities. The agreement provides a payment break for the tax debt accumulated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore to a deal on a longer repayment term for this tax debt in order to improve the liquidity position.
