The Netherlands government plans to raise gambling tax from 30.5% to 34.2% in 2025 and 37.8% in 2026, according to the report. The tax applies to winnings above €449 from lotteries or casinos in the Dutch market; gambling trade associations expressed concern about the increases.
Operators in the Netherlands face higher planned tax rates on qualifying lottery and casino winnings.
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The Dutch online gambling market grew 11% in the first half of 2026 compared with the previous six months, according to a monitoring report cited by the Kansspelautoriteit and VNLOK. VNLOK said the World Cup contributed partly to the rise and argued that it was too early to call it a sustained recovery; the licensed market contracted 18% in 2025.
The Dutch online gambling market grew 11% in the first half of 2026 compared with the previous six months, according to a monitoring report. The Kansspelautoriteit and trade association VNLOK said the summer's World Cup football contributed partly to the rise. VNLOK said it was therefore too early to speak of a structural recovery of the market. In 2025 the licensed online gambling market contracted by 18%.
VNLOK has begun legal action against Meta over adverts for unlicensed gambling operators in the Netherlands. The association says large platforms should detect and remove illegal adverts proactively rather than only responding to complaints. It argues the adverts undermine consumer protection under Dutch gambling law.
VNLOK chairman Björn Fuchs said the Dutch betting trade body has clear evidence of failures by Meta that let audiences be drawn to illegal gambling content. Speaking at the Gaming in Spain Conference, he described the Dutch challenge as one that will affect all European markets.
Dutch gambling association Vnlok has sued Meta in an Amsterdam court, alleging that the company failed to take sufficient action against illegal gambling adverts targeting Dutch consumers. Vnlok said its review found that more than 90% of the gambling adverts it analysed on Facebook were linked to illegal operators; it also reported removal rates of 11% in May and 15% in June.
Lawyer Justin Franssen, a partner at Franssen Tolboom Attorneys at Law, accused the KSA of leaving existing enforcement powers unused against platforms carrying illegal gambling ads in the Netherlands. VNLOK chairman Björn Fuchs said the association's lawsuit seeks to compel Meta to fulfil its obligations under the EU Digital Services Act.
Lawyer Justin Franssen, a partner at Franssen Tolboom Attorneys at Law, said the KSA has the legal powers to act against Meta and other platforms that carry illegal gambling advertisements but does not use them. He made the accusation at the SBC Summit on Wednesday, according to a report of the panel. The Dutch online gambling trade association VNLOK has sued Meta, and its chairman, Björn Fuchs, set out what the association expects from the case.