SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Holland Casino has initiated a major internal restructuring, where Jan Paul van Heemskerck van Beest will head its online division.
As part of the shifts, the company has formed a brand new role to which Van Heemskerck van Beest will transition from his current position of Director Guest & Product Development.
He will replace outgoing Director of Digital Transformation Jeroen Verkroost, who will step away from the company on 1 April. This role will be abolished.
Another notable change will see Holland Casino Online’s IT department moved away from the current oversight of Verkroost, and placed under the supervision of Director of Casino Technology & Operations Support, Pieter Boers.
Bracing for impact
Ongoing reforms in the Dutch market have seen the gambling sector hit hard, particularly by GGR tax hikes.
With the 2025 budget approved last September, Finance Minister Eelco Heinen – serving under the Dick Schoof cabinet – introduced a two-step GGR gambling tax increase.
The first step already saw the tax being heightened from the previous 30.5% to what is now 34.2%. From next year, this number will increase a second time to 37.8%.
As a result of the tax increase, Holland Casino was forced to reduce its operating hours across its venues in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, as well as close down its venue in Zandvoort.
Petra de Ruiter, CEO of Holland Casino, commented: “For Holland Casino, the closure is essential to continue building a sustainable future for the company, in which we can continue to contribute to a safe and responsible gaming climate.”
As a sign of protest, the casino reached out to trade unions towards the end of last year in an effort to coordinate an opposition to the tax hikes.
The higher GGR tax is part of wider ongoing changes to reform the Remote Gambling Act (KOA), led by Dutch Secretary for Legal Protections Teun Struycken.
These reforms include a new minimum age of 21 for ‘high-risk online games’, mandatory deposit limits for all licensees, stricter gambling advertising controls, and expanding the power of the regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), among others.
