The Dutch government plans a further review of possible ownership options for Nederlandse Loterij, according to a parliamentary letter from Finance Minister Eelco Heinen. The review will consider public-interest safeguards and the social value of state ownership; its timing has not been set.
The review could reopen the state lottery’s ownership status and future operating structure.
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Dutch lawmakers urged the government to strengthen enforcement against illegal gambling during a parliamentary committee debate. State Secretary for Justice KT van Bruggen said the government is developing legislation for DNS blocking, with a public consultation expected in early 2027. She also said officials are engaging with Meta and Google over illegal gambling advertisements and will receive reports every six months.
VNLOK says its member operators have agreed with the Kansspelautoriteit to connect players directly to OpenOverGokken when staff identify a possible need for help. The referral requires the player’s explicit consent, and VNLOK says operators will share no information about play or personal circumstances. Nederlandse Loterij is the first operator to offer the service; the parties will review it after six months.
The Netherlands' gambling tax increases generated about €2m in additional revenue in 2025 and an estimated €57m in 2026, well short of government forecasts, according to a joint monitoring report by the Ministry of Finance and regulator KSA. The tax rose from 30.5% to 34.2% on 1 January 2025 and to 37.8% on 1 January 2026.
State Secretary Van Bruggen said Nederlandse Loterij is not legally required to disclose how many lottery tickets it sells online or the distribution of prizes by sales channel. She said she saw no benefit in publishing the figures because the purchase channel does not affect the chance of winning. Van Bruggen also said audit reports would remain confidential because they contain commercially sensitive information and support Kansspelautoriteit supervision.
A Dutch court found SkyGrow and directors connected to Casbit and SkyGrow jointly liable for damage to TOTO Online from Lalabet’s unlicensed online gambling in the Netherlands. The court left the amount of damages for a separate proceeding; it largely rejected claims against trust company DECC, while ordering information to be provided to TOTO.