Dutch minister announces new gambling policy by March 2025
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20 Dec 2024 •
Reading time: 3 minutes Teun Struycken, Minister for Legal Protection, has announced that the Dutch government is working on an updated gambling policy. He expects to present this policy to the House of Representatives in March 2025. He said this in response to questions from MP Michiel van Nispen. The questions were about the suitability of the current policy, particularly in the area of physical gambling markets.
Van Nispen emphasized that the current Remote Gambling Act has led to strong competition in the online gambling sector. But he also stated that this law has created “undesirable financial incentives” in the sector.
Discussion about competition in physical gambling markets
Van Nispen pointed out that there is no competition in the physical gambling market, where Holland Casino has a monopoly. He wondered whether the market should be opened up to other, licensed providers. Struycken indicated that the current legislation is based on policy from 2011. He is working on policy that may include measures to promote competition in the physical sector.
“I will send my vision on the future of gambling policy by March 2025,” Struycken said. “In this, I will include considerations about competition in the market.”
Should the state give up Holland Casino?
Van Nispen also asked about the role of the state in Holland Casino, which is fully state-owned. Struycken referred to an evaluation from May last year, which concluded that state ownership is “not necessary.” However, he said that giving up this share would cost the state income and would take away control over matters such as tackling gambling damage.
However, he did not rule out the possibility that the state might withdraw in the long term. “The evaluation also stated that the added value of state shares does not carry enough weight to rule out other options in advance,” he said.
Taxes and the future of Holland Casino
Struycken also acknowledged the planned increase in gambling tax. The government is in talks with Holland Casino about this measure. According to a critical report, the tax increase could lead to significant losses for online operators and possibly even the closure of branches or the online offering of Holland Casino.
The State Secretary for Finance will inform the House of Representatives of the developments at Holland Casino before the summer of 2025, Struycken said.
Clear distinction between online and physical gambling markets
Finally, Van Nispen asked whether the new policy will make a clear distinction between online gambling and physical gambling markets. Struycken said that this distinction is important to better address the risks and harm of both types of gambling.
“In my vision, I will pay attention to where I want to make further distinctions between different types of gambling,” Struycken said. “An important aspect here is the risk of addiction or other gambling-related harm.”
He added: “In the letter that I will send to the House of Representatives on 27 March, I will discuss how I see the policy and where I see reason for changes. Adjustments regarding the online gambling market are my priority.”