Dutch gambling tax hike: Holland Casino appeals to trade unions
The state casino operator is proposing that unions back its stance against the rise in gambling tax in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands.- The state-controlled casino operator Holland Casino has contacted trade unions to seek support for its opposition to the Dutch government’s planned increase in gambling tax from next year. The private sector trade union De Unie said the casino operator had asked it to support its stance.
De Unie has placed a condition on its support, calling for the casino operator to open a voluntary departure scheme for employees. This would allow employees to leave under their own volition or wait for an official redundancy procedure. Holland Casino has been against such a move, saying that it prefers to reallocate staff to other venues once it implements reduced operations in the new year.
The casino operator plans to close its casinos in Zandvoort by February 2025 and to reduce operating hours in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The operator has also suggested that it will need to launch more aggressive campaigns to recruit customers in order to stay in the black. There have also been calls for the state to sell Holland Casino.
Gambling tax rises in Europe
The Netherlands’ new right-wing coalition government plans to increase gambling tax in two phases. The budget presented by finance minister Eelco Heinen and prime minister Dick Schoof hikes the gambling tax rate from 30.5 per cent to 34.2 per cent in 2025 and to 37.8 per cent in 2026.
The government said the phased approach was intended to give operators time to adjust to the new system. Meanwhile, the current tax on customer winnings of over €449 will be scrapped.
There have been expectations that gambling tax will rise across Europe. Sweden increased gambling tax in July but may consider a proposal to revert the move amid continued criticism from operators. The new tax rate has a impact on the latest results of Svenska Spel and ATG. France also plans to raise gambling tax, while the UK has held off for now, reporting in the UK budget this week that tax will remain the same for 2025.
