Holland Casino is set to undertake a further reorganisation of its business as it seeks to cut costs and adapt to the tougher economic conditions facing the Dutch gambling sector.
A new round of restructuring was announced by Holland Casino, the state-owned operator of land-based casinos in the Netherlands, to trade union De Unie.
In a statement titled “Reorganisation hits hard”, De Unie confirmed that Holland Casino would begin another phase of workforce consolidation, resulting in further redundancies.
The union will negotiate a collective redundancy agreement to secure compensation and support for employees affected by the latest restructuring programme.
“The reorganisation at Holland Casino has become known and it is hitting hard, especially for colleagues who have been declared redundant. De Unie not only wishes these colleagues strength, but also wants to be there for them.”
De Unie has been in discussions with Holland Casino since February 2026 to agree the terms of a new collective bargaining arrangement covering employees affected by the restructuring.
In a statement provided to Dutch igaming media CasinoNieuws.nl, Holland Casino said:
“Holland Casino has previously indicated that it needs to take structural measures to make the organisation future-proof and reduce costs. This first phase is part of that. Unfortunately, several individuals have indeed been declared redundant.
Holland Casino cannot make any announcements regarding other measures to be taken at this time.”
Holland Casino has repeatedly warned that job losses have become an unavoidable consequence of the Dutch government’s decision to proceed with successive increases to the gambling tax. The tax rate rose from 30.5% to 34.2% in 2025 before increasing again to 37.8% on 1 January 2026.
The higher tax burden prompted Holland Casino to begin its first phase of restructuring during 2025.
For FY2025, Holland Casino returned to profit, reporting net earnings of €30m. However, management acknowledged that the recovery was driven largely by aggressive cost-cutting measures and the disposal of real estate assets in Zandvoort and Groningen, rather than underlying trading growth.
Opposing the tax increases, CEO Petra de Ruiter warned that the 2026 tax regime would almost completely eliminate the group’s profitability, estimating that the higher tax burden and margin pressures would reduce earnings by around €28m.
The future ownership of Holland Casino has also remained a recurring political issue throughout the 2020s.
The former coalition led by the Party for Freedom (PVV) was reported to have explored the sale of Holland Casino. However, those discussions did not progress after State Secretary for Taxation Tjebbe van Oostenbruggen indicated that there was no credible market interest in acquiring the state-owned casino operator.
The current Dutch coalition has yet to set out its long-term strategy for Holland Casino or clarify whether privatisation remains under consideration.
The future ownership of Holland Casino has remained a recurring political issue throughout the 2020s.
The former coalition led by the Party for Freedom (PVV) was reported to have explored the sale of Holland Casino. However, those discussions failed to progress after State Secretary for Taxation Tjebbe van Oostenbruggen concluded that there was insufficient market interest to justify the disposal of the state-owned casino operator.
The new liberal coalition of Democrats 66 (D66), People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) has yet to set out its long-term position on Holland Casino or whether privatisation remains under consideration.
Attention turns to new legal minister Claudia van Bruggen, who oversees the agreed repeal and replacement of the Remote Gambling Act (KOA). Van Bruggen was nominated by D66 following the formation of the government led by Prime Minister Rob Jetten and serves under Justice Minister David van Weel.
In June, Van Bruggen stated that the overhaul would be based on five core principles: a total ban on online gambling advertising, a prohibition on bonuses and free bets used to acquire customers, the introduction of an overarching deposit limit across licensed online gambling, further enhancements to the CRUKS national self-exclusion system and tougher enforcement measures to combat illegal gambling.
The reforms will determine not only the future regulatory framework of the Dutch online gambling market but also the long-term commercial outlook for operators such as Holland Casino, which continue to face mounting tax, regulatory and compliance pressures.
