The Netherlands will not change their gambling tax policy despite a notable drop in revenue since a hike was introduced earlier this year.
An initial increase from 30.5% of gross gaming revenue (GGR) to 34.2% for online casinos in the Netherlands was put in place on January 1 and that number will jump to 37.8% on New Year’s Day in 2026.
The country’s state secretary for taxation, Eugène Heijnen, ruled out the possibility of bringing in a new policy to make up for a continued decline in online gambling revenue.
Casino News reported that the minister told politicians gambling tax earnings would be in line with expectations set out by the Netherlands gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).
“It is true that the estimate for revenue has been revised downwards this year,” Heijnen said.
“This picture is broadly consistent with the expectations communicated by the KSA in a recent report.”
In July it was revealed that black market gambling is on the rise in the Netherlands due to the introduction of strict deposit limits.
A net deposit limit of €700 (€300 for young adults aged 18-25) is now active and if players want to exceed it they have to provide proof of sufficient income.
In October 2024, traffic to black market domains stood at just over 170,000 – growing steadily to 294,000 in November and 412,000 in February before breaking the one million barrier in March.
In August the KSA revealed the new measures would likely result in a €40 million fall in iGaming revenue, a strong contrast to the early predictions of a €100 million rise in GGR for 2025.
Although government-commissioned research warned the changes would push licensed operators out of the market, the new Conservative coalition decided to go ahead with it regardless.
The Dutch online gaming trade body, VLOK, said tax revenue for 2025 so far stands at just 83% of the equivalent in 2024.
Earlier this month the KSA voiced concern over the industry’s risk analysis measures currently in place.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
