The Dutch government recently announced that the national lottery company Nederlandse Loterij will continue to be state-owned and will not be privatized. This decision was formally communicated to the parliament by State Secretaries Tjebbe Van Oostenbruggen and Teun Struycken, clearly stating that abandoning the privatization plan at this stage is due to policy vision, legislative difficulties, and player protection considerations.
The government emphasized that abandoning privatization helps ensure the stability of the Dutch lottery market and focuses on developing online gambling services. The government fears that privatization would weaken consumer protection, especially adversely affecting gambling addiction prevention and control. Moreover, the legislative revisions required for major reforms would bring uncertainty and regulatory risks, thus being "not realistically feasible."
Although reforms are not currently being implemented, the government has not completely ruled out the possibility of assessing privatization in the future. The State Secretaries stated that all future decisions must be consistent with a "responsible gambling policy" and prioritize maintaining market order and consumer safety.
In response, Nederlandse Loterij CEO Arjan Blok expressed understanding. He also stated that the company has long hoped to operate independently outside of government regulation to better compete with international rivals and maintain its status as the "most responsible gambling service provider." He welcomed the government's willingness to reassess the shareholding ratio in the future and reiterated the company's commitment to fulfilling its social responsibilities.
Meanwhile, the government also stated that it would not privatize Holland Casino. Considering the recent pressure from the increase in gambling taxes, the government is consulting with the country's only physical casino operator to explore measures to alleviate the tax burden. The operator has adopted a series of cost-saving strategies and reached an agreement with the tax authorities to delay repayments, enhancing liquidity and ensuring future operational stability.
Overall, the Dutch government is cautious in managing the gambling industry, emphasizing policy stability and public interest, and will not undertake structural reforms of state-owned gambling assets in the short term.
