Dutch MPs propose 1% gambling tax increase
MPs Silvio Erkens and Chris Stoffer have submitted a legislative amendment to increase the Dutch gambling tax rate from 29.5% to 30.5%.
Since the amendment is supported by the largest political group (VVD) in the Dutch Lower House, the chances of the proposal being adopted appears high.
Dutch consumer protection organization accuses licensed online casinos of legal violations
The Netherlands’ largest consumer protection organization, Consumentenbond acccuses six leading online gambling operators (Bet365, Betcity, Holland Casino, Jacks, Unibet, and Toto) of violating Dutch online gambling regulations, with Holland Casino and Toto being singled out as the biggest offenders.
However, Consumentenbond has so far declined to publicly share any specific and detailed examples to support its accusations.
One of the accused operators, Holland Casino, has extensively refuted Consumentenbond's findings.
Based on the presently available information, it appears doubtful that Consumentenbond's accusations are valid.
Dutch Party NSC seeks to reverse the legalization of online gambling
According to its recently published electoral program (p. 68), Dutch political party NSC (Nieuw Sociaal Contract) seeks to reverse the legalization of online gambling in the country.
NSC is expected to win big in the upcoming Lower House elections on November 22 and is currently expected to receive between 15% and 20% of all votes.
Anne Kuik, MP on behalf of political group CDA previously announced that she will propose a private bill (i.e., a bill submitted to Parliament by one or more MPs rather than the government) to undo the legalization of online gambling in the Netherlands.
Political groups who have publicly supported the reversal of online gambling legislation are currently on track to achieve around 30% of the total vote.
Upcoming events
The following event(s) may be of interest to the GiH community.
The 2024 Casino Operations Summit, which focuses on land-based casino operations, will take place April 23-25 in Amsterdam.
Dutch licensed GGR increases to €3.4bn in 2022
Total GGR in the Dutch licensed gambling market (land-based and online) increased from €2bn in 2021 to €3.4bn in 2022, according to a new report from the Netherlands Gambling Authority. The significant growth (85% y-o-y) was mainly caused by the winding down of Covid-19-related measures and the opening of the regulated online gambling market.
The report further shows that the online market (31%) remains smaller than the land-based market (69%). Casino games (land-based and online) made up the largest part of the total market in 2022 (56%), followed by lotteries (34%), and sports betting (9%).
In 2022, the land-based casino market had decreased by 30% compared to 2019, the last full pre-Covid year. Some substitution from land-based to online clearly occurred.
As to player behavior, the average adult in the Netherlands spent an average of €258 on gambling in 2022, compared to €158 in 2021 and €221 in 2019.
The full report is available here.
Other news
Current Netherlands Gambling Authority Chair, René Jansen will step down on July 1, 2024, due to having reached retirement age. The recruitment procedure to find a successor has been opened.
Disproportionate restrictions on, or even a full ban of online gambling will come with high social costs, Björn Fuchs writes.
On October 19, JVH gaming & entertainment group opened its 32nd Jack's Casino venue in Emmen.
The Kindred Group reported that its share of gross winnings revenue from high-risk players has increased to 3.3% from the Q2 2023 amount of 3.1%.