Report: Dutch Gambling Tax Rise Misses Revenue Target
Highlights
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The Netherlands gambling tax hike generates less revenue than expected.
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The report had no concrete evidence that the initial tax rise had a measurable impact on charitable donations.
The Netherlands gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), with the help of the Ministry of Finance, released a report revealing that the latest tax hike resulted in lower-than-expected revenue.
The finding suggests that policy changes and market dynamics have reduced tax revenue between 2024 and early 2026. The tax raise was conducted in two stages.
Firstly, the tax rate was increased to 34.2% from 30.5% at the beginning of 2025, and further to 37.8% on 1 January 2026.
The policymakers anticipate that such measures would generate EUR 108 million ($122 million) and an additional €216 million in 2026. However, the gambling tax hike increased by just EUR 2 million ($2.3 million) in 2025 and is estimated to add approximately €57 million in 2026.
The tax is assessed based on the sector’s GGR, which was negatively affected by several factors, including:
As a result of the higher tax levy, the profits of two state-controlled entities, Holland Casino and Nederlandse Loterij, have slipped to €27 million in 2025 and €54 million in 2026, respectively.
However, the report had no conclusive evidence that the initial tax rise had a significant effect on contributions made by licensed operators to charity.
For the full news story, Read Here!
The finding suggests that policy changes and market dynamics have reduced tax revenue between 2024 and early 2026. The tax raise was conducted in two stages.
Firstly, the tax rate was increased to 34.2% from 30.5% at the beginning of 2025, and further to 37.8% on 1 January 2026.
The policymakers anticipate that such measures would generate EUR 108 million ($122 million) and an additional €216 million in 2026. However, the gambling tax hike increased by just EUR 2 million ($2.3 million) in 2025 and is estimated to add approximately €57 million in 2026.
The tax is assessed based on the sector’s GGR, which was negatively affected by several factors, including:
- New Player Protection Rules
- Advertising and Sponsorship Curbs
- Market Effects
As a result of the higher tax levy, the profits of two state-controlled entities, Holland Casino and Nederlandse Loterij, have slipped to €27 million in 2025 and €54 million in 2026, respectively.
However, the report had no conclusive evidence that the initial tax rise had a significant effect on contributions made by licensed operators to charity.
For the full news story, Read Here!
