Gambling revenue in the Netherlands tops €2 billion in 2018
The gambling industry in the Netherlands registered €2.05 billion in revenue during 2018 operations.
Netherlands.- The gambling industry in the Netherlands has accomplished a new record in 2018. During last year’s operations, the Dutch gambling market generated €2.05 billion in revenue. This is the first time that the gambling market surpasses the €2 billion mark.
The Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) released the latest figures detailing last year’s performance. Revenue increased 11% from €1.85 billion in 2015, which is the year that the government body published market data for the last time. Moreover, the number also increased by €50 million when compared to 2017’s.
Consumer spend drove the revenue growth as it increased 12% from 2015 to €2.5 billion. The revenue also helped increase tax income from gambling in the Netherlands. The industry contributed a total of €529 million in tax in 2018, up from 2015’s €476 million.
The Netherlands to open online market
The gambling authority from the Netherlands, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), said that its aim is for the Remote Gambling Act to come into force by July 1, 2020. This would leave the door open for online gambling to open in the Dutch market on January 1, 2021.
If the Netherlands manages to process permit applications from July 1, 2020, there is a big chance that the online gambling market can be fully operational by the first day of 2021, René Jansen, chairman of the regulator said.
Moreover, companies have shown their interest in the licences: KSA reported that it received 183 notifications from companies interested in submitting an application to offer online gambling services in the country.
More than half of the companies (89) are foreign, while 83 already have an online gambling licence in another country. Moreover, 74 of them already offer physical games of chance. Despite the high number of companies that are interested in licences, the KSA said that not all of them will receive a permit, as strict requirements have been set. Applicants are tested for reliability and integrity, there are financial requirements and other conditions that include addiction prevention.
