Dutch coalition government confirms new minister to oversee gambling

Teun Struycken will oversee gambling policy in the Netherlands after the new right-wing coalition government was sworn into office by royal decree.

Following last November’s election, prime minister Dick Schoof unveiled his new-look cabinet in which Struycken will play a key role in the gambling sector’s future.

The coalition is made up of the Party for Freedom, the Farmer-Citizen Movement, the New Social Contract and the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy.

Schoof, an experienced civil servant, has been drafted in to be the face of government after being put forward by the Party for Freedom leader Geert Wilders.

Wilders’ party won the most votes in the November election, and the cabinet will include five ministers representing the controversial party.

The roles of the new cabinet were agreed on 11 June but not revealed until 2 July, with it since confirmed that Struycken will serve as state secretary for legal protection, a role that oversees the gambling sector in the Netherlands.

Struycken, who remains a professor at the University of Utrecht teaching European property law and a lawyer of 21 years with law firm NautaDutilh, will succeed Franc Weerwind in the role.

The minister of justice, a title that ranks above Struycken’s status as state secretary, will be held by David van Weel, a former adviser to prime minister Mark Rutte between 2010 and 2024.

If needed, Van Weel’s rank means he would able to revise policy decisions made by Struycken.

In May, the right-wing coalition put forward proposals to raise GGR to 37.8% as part of its first budget.

While the tax rate currently sits at 30.5% in the Netherlands, the proposed increased is anticipated to generate more than €202m (£171m) for state coffers – a figure that has been disputed by industry stakeholders.

Soon after the proposal was first published, chair of the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) René Jansen admitted he was “sincerely concerned” by the potential hike and outlined the reasons for his apprehension during an address at the Gaming in Holland conference.

He said: “My imminent departure is once again shrouded in political uncertainty. All of you will be aware of the current political climate and the uncertainties about the future of both land-based and online licensed gambling markets. 

“I must confess that I am sincerely concerned about the effects of proposals such as a hefty increase in gambling tax and the partial banning of remote gambling again.

“As a regulator, keeping our mission ‘gambling safely’ in mind, we are convinced that players are far better off in a licensed market. Supervising compliance with legal obligations can only be realised with legal and licensed operators.

“Therefore, the KSA will keep a close eye on the channelisation rate and how it might be affected by upcoming regulation. We have heard your concerns about the rise of illegal offering on the Dutch market, and I want to assure you we take that threat seriously,” he added.

The Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA) echoed a similar sentiment regarding the proposed tax hikes, with then-director Peter-Paul de Goeij claiming the idea “endangers the viability of the Dutch gambling market”.

A month prior, the Dutch parliament voted in favour of a total ban on gambling advertising as well as the removal of verticals deemed “very high-risk”, including online slots.

At the time, Socialist Party MP Michiel van Nispen took aim at the Dutch online gambling sector.

He said: “Regulated gambling has been turned into a gambling market in 2021. And this market is sick through and through. Every day that these companies continue their bad practices, more people become addicted to gambling.

He continued: “As far as we are concerned, it is the end of the story for gambling companies without morals. A ban on online gambling advertisements is another step forward towards a country without bad gambling companies.” 

However, Betsson CEO Pontus Lindwall recently told EGR that he does not expect that proposed ban to come to fruition, while La Française des Jeux (FDJ) management also insisted the vote in favour of prohibiting advertising and slots games would have no impact on its planned acquisition of Kindred Group.

Kindred Group operates Unibet, the leading brand in the Dutch Market.