The Dutch government decided to keep Nederlandse Loterij in state ownership, State Secretary for Finance Tjebbe van Oostenbruggen told parliament on 13 May. The decision ends an exploration of privatisation that began in 2022; the government said state ownership aligns with its gambling policy and consumer-protection objectives.
The decision rules out a privatisation route for Nederlandse Loterij under the government’s current policy.
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A weekly gaming-industry roundup discusses proposed Dutch gambling reforms, an expected delay to Italy’s land-based gambling changes and the launch of Ukraine’s PlayCity regulator. It says the Dutch proposals may be delayed after the coalition government collapsed, while Italy’s adjustment period could extend to August 2026.
The collapse of the Netherlands’ coalition government has made a new gambling bill planned for this year less likely, with further reforms expected to face delays. State secretary Teun Struycken had been expected to propose a higher minimum age for online slots and possibly tighter advertising restrictions after a review found shortcomings in player protection measures.
Land-based gambling operators urged the Dutch government to reverse the gambling tax increase during a parliamentary roundtable on 19 March 2025. Holland Casino’s chief executive said rising costs could affect staffing, while Nederlandse Loterij and Postcode Loterij said the higher tax reduced contributions to good causes; JVH Gaming’s chief executive said it had closed venues and warned of effects on player-protection investment.
GroenLinks-PvdA MP Tom van der Lee has submitted questions to Finance Minister Eelco Heinen about how state-owned companies report their activities. He asks why separate reporting of different activities is not required and what steps the minister will take to introduce it, after an ESB opinion argued that incomplete separation can distort markets; Holland Casino was among its examples.
Bingoal and TOTO Online, the latter operated by Nederlandse Loterij, have confirmed renewed Dutch igaming licences. The renewals follow the KSA's renewal of Holland Casino's licence as the first five-year permits from the October 2021 market launch approach expiry. Several major operators' licences are due to expire on 1 October.