Holland Casino to remain under state control for the foreseeable future
Holland Casino will remain under government ownership, along with lottery operator Nederlandse Loterij, following an announcement from State Tax secretary Tjebbe Van Oostenbruggen, who said privatisation was currently not ‘feasible’ or ‘proportionate.’
The debate over privatizing the gaming sector was discussed at a parliamentary committee debate, however, Mr. Van Oostenbruggen said: “The government will retain the Nederlandse Loterij as a state-owned company for the time being. Citizens will retain access to a party that is structured differently from commercial gambling providers. In doing so, the government seeks to take responsibility in a market that clearly has negative aspects and to ensure long-term stability.”
He added: “The focus for Holland Casino must currently be on ensuring the continuity of the organization. In the committee debate on state participations of 28 November 2024, I indicated that I am in discussions with Holland Casino about the impact of the increase in gambling tax. This increase is putting pressure on the continuity of the company. These discussions are about measures that can promote recovery and options to tackle the challenges.”
“Holland Casino will have to develop new measures in the coming period in order to remain viable in the long term.”
Nederlandse Loterij’s CEO Arjan Blok commented: “Nederlandse Loterij wants to be the most responsible gambling provider. We can be if we can structurally compete with international competitors on the Dutch market. It is precisely in order to maintain this position that Nederlandse Loterij is in favour of independence.”
“It is good to see that the government appreciates the important pioneering role of Nederlandse Loterij and underlines the strategy of our company. Furthermore, it is positive that the government will re-evaluate the shareholding in Nederlandse Loterij in the long term. With a safe and responsible range of games of chance, Nederlandse Loterij will continue to perform its social tasks. Because participating is fun, but it should also remain fun.”
