VNLOK warns tax policy in the Netherlands reduces collections, boosts black market

• VNLOK warns that rising gambling taxes in the Netherlands are proving counterproductive, claiming they are pushing players toward the black market while reducing overall tax revenues
• After tax rates climbed to 34.2% in 2025 and 37.8% in 2026, VNLOK and operators, including Holland Casino and Dutch Lottery, argue that the policy risks weakening the regulated market
• The warning comes ahead of a March 11 parliamentary debate, where industry stakeholders say further tax hikes could accelerate the shift to illegal operators and reduce funding for sports and charities

Trade group VNLOK has issued a warning about recent increases in gambling taxes, calling them "counterproductive" and assessing their impact on the market so far.

According to VNLOK, which bases its recent update on feedback from license holders and industry organizations, the market has already ceded ground to the black market, and the country has collected less gambling tax revenue overall.

These warnings come ahead of a new debate on taxation scheduled for today, March 11. The VNLOK, the Dutch Lottery, and Holland Casino insist that another tax hike is likely to send the market into a downward spiral, reducing not only state revenue but also empowering unregulated operators that the regulator is trying to keep out.

Following a tax increase to 34.2% in 2025 and 37.8% in 2026, the VNLOK has cautioned that this approach is having the opposite of its intended effect. The VNLOK Chairman Björn Fuchs said:

"The government is trying to generate additional revenue with this measure, but is achieving the opposite. We are seeing lower tax revenues, more illegal offerings, and less money for sports and charities. This is not only financially unwise, but it also undermines the policy of protecting players. The player is the victim of this policy."

The VNLOK and its allies urge the House of Representatives to consider the current impact of increased taxes on the gambling market, tax collection, and the supply of unregulated games and operators, and to include this empirical evidence in its decision-making.

The VNLOK also noted that €40 million less in gambling industry-related tax was paid in 2025 than in 2024, and that overall contributions also fell. Another worrying trend is not the mere acceleration of illegal gambling supply - but the fact that it now possibly reigns supreme, with unlicensed operators outnumbering regulated ones.

These websites offer no protection against problem gambling, the VNLOK argues, reminding the government of the regulated market's intended goal: to keep players safe. Not least, tougher operating conditions for operators have created a more challenging environment for sports and charities, which saw licensed gambling companies contribute less in funding.

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