PokerStars is not coming back to the Netherlands

Bad news for poker players in the Netherlands. It seems that PokerStars is leaving the country for good. Parent company Flutter Entertainment, which also runs the bingo site Tombola, has announced that it will stop operating in the Netherlands. This will probably have major consequences for PokerStars.

Stricter rules and tax increases make it difficult

A lot will change for online gambling sites in the Netherlands from October 1, 2024. There will be new rules, such as limits on how much you can bet. As if that wasn’t enough, the government has also decided to significantly increase the gambling tax. At first, gambling companies already paid 30.5% tax, but soon that will be almost 38%. That is a big hit, and that has consequences.

The gambling industry is not happy about it. Many companies say that this higher tax is a major risk, not only for them, but also for the players. They are afraid that this will significantly reduce the numbers of legal gambling sites in the Netherlands. And that already seems to be happening: tombola has decided to stop in the Netherlands. Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of tombola, says that the costs of complying with the new rules are simply too high. They can no longer calculate it.

PokerStars seems to be gone for good

Flutter not only owns tombola, but also PokerStars, one of the largest poker sites in the world. PokerStars went offline in the Netherlands almost three years ago due to the new gambling law. At the time, it seemed that they would return in 2022, but that did not happen. The company postponed the return to 2023, but unfortunately that was also false hope. In May of that year, Flutter decided to withdraw the license application for PokerStars.

Since then, there has been little positive news for Dutch poker players. PokerStars’ last annual report did not contain any reference to the Netherlands, which already suggested that a return would not happen anytime soon. And now that tombola is also leaving, a comeback for PokerStars in the Netherlands seems completely off the table. The new rules and costs make it almost impossible for the company to be profitable in the Netherlands.

What now for Dutch poker players?

This is a big disappointment for Dutch poker players. PokerStars was the place to play online poker for years, with tournaments from all over the world and a huge community of players. But now that PokerStars is staying away, players have to look for alternatives. Fortunately, there are still a few options, such as GGPoker, Unibet and bet365. These providers do have a license for the Dutch market and will continue to operate.

But yes, for many players, the loss of PokerStars feels like their favorite café is closing its doors for good. The atmosphere, the community, and the unique tournaments of PokerStars are not that easy to replace. Many poker players will have to adapt to the new platforms, and hope that these providers can eventually offer what PokerStars once did.