State Secretary: “Gambling tax hike could increase gambling addiction risks”
Dutch State Secretary for Tax Affairs, Tjebbe van Oostenbruggen has said in response to parliamentary questioning that the proposed increase in the gambling tax rate could lead to a rise in gambling addiction risks.
Van Oostenbruggen, citing a research report on the expected impact of the tax hike, admitted that operators will likely be forced to pass on the costs of the tax increase by enticing players to spend more, which, in turn, would increase the risks for said players.
The State Secretary also admitted that the tax hike is likely to have a particularly severe impact on the land-based slots arcade sector.
Meanwhile, MPs representing SP, GroenLinks-PvdA, D66, and CDA submitted a motion calling on the government to further investigate the negative impact of (among other things) the proposed gambling tax hike on Dutch sports before introducing this measure.
Both developments illustrate that opposition against the proposed tax hike is at least somewhat increasing, although it remains to be seen whether this will lead to an actual modification of the government's plans.
Hard Rock Casino NL welcomes Cristiano Blanco as new CEO
Hard Rock Casino NL has announced the appointment of Cristiano Blanco as its new CEO, effective December 1, 2024.
Paul Strikers, founder of Hard Rock Casino NL, expressed his enthusiasm for the new hire: "We are delighted to have Cristiano, an experienced professional, in the right position. With his background at Kindred/Unibet and ComeOn, Cristiano brings invaluable expertise in the Dutch online casino market."
Founder Paul Strikers will remain actively involved with the company, taking on the roles of Public Affairs Manager and Money Laundering Reporting Officer.
CDA proposes ban on online gambling to improve financial resilience of consumers
Political group CDA has launched a new plan to improve the financial resilience of Dutch consumers and households, which includes a proposal to introduce a full ban on online gambling activities.
It currently appears very unlikely, however, that there will be majority support for such a far-reaching measure, especially since this proposal would do nothing to protect consumers from illegal offerings.
Peter-Paul de Goeij: “Principles-based regulation was a mistake”
Former NOGA Director Peter-Paul de Goeij sat down with CasinoNieuws for a wide-ranging (and highly interesting) interview in which he discusses the regulation of online gambling, the political environment, market channelization, and much more.
Notably, de Goeij claims that the industry made a mistake in arguing for principles-based regulation rather than rules-based regulation and that the resulting backlash from the Lower House led to uninformed and counterproductive interventions.
De Goeij further maintains that – contrary to claims by the Netherlands Gambling Authority – the actual market channelization probably never surpassed 80% (while also admitting that there currently exists insufficient data to either prove or disprove this claim).
The full interview is available here.
Curaçao Gaming Control Board denies allegations it lacks authority to issue licenses
The Gaming Control Board of Curaçao has denied recent allegations that it lacks the authority to issue licenses under the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK).
Local journalist Nardy Cramm has brought suit against various government officials disputing the GCB's authority to issue gambling licenses.
Meanwhile, Luigi Faneyte, an independent financial forensic investigator, has filed a criminal complaint against Curaçao’s Minister of Finance, Javier Silvania, and three Maltese individuals in connection with the issuance of "provisional" online gambling licenses in anticipation of the future rollout of the LOK.
ICE 2025 registration now open
ICE 2025 will take place for the first time at its new home, Barcelona's Fira Grand Via, on January 20-22.
Over 50,000 visitors are expected to attend the world's largest global gaming event.
Registration for ICE 2025 is now open.
PS: If you are exhibiting at ICE (or otherwise participating) and need help organizing your tailor-made evening event, please consider contacting Sapyns: https://www.sapyns.com/ice2025.
JVH Gaming & Entertainment Group announces closure of 23 venues
JVH Gaming & Entertainment Group, the Dutch market leader in land-based slots arcades, announced the closure of 23 of its 87 venues. The operator cites the proposed gambling tax increase from 30.5% to 37.8% of GGR as the main reason for its decision.
JVH CEO Eric Olders commented: “The gambling tax increase only adds to the rising costs that we have experienced in recent years. Like many other retail and hospitality enterprises, we have been experiencing strong upward cost pressure for a long time due to rising rents, energy costs, the sharply increased statutory minimum wage, the general impact of higher inflation, higher interest rates, and increased costs due to a sharply increased regulatory burden. This is no longer sustainable for many gambling operators in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, this includes a considerable number of our venues.”
Due to these circumstances, legal and responsible operators will be unable to cope with the announced tax increase, Olders continued. “I expect that we will not be the last company in our sector that will be forced to make tough choices and either restructure or go out of business entirely.”
Earlier this year, Dutch operator Janshen-Hahnraths Group also announced a reorganization that included significant cuts. More recently, Holland Casino announced the closure of its Zandvoort venue.
In recent months, online operators Tombola and LiveScore Bet likewise withdrew from the Dutch market citing the increased tax burden.
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