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Holland Casino has reached out to trade unions in the Netherlands with a proposal for a joint stance against the upcoming gambling tax hike.
Earlier in September, the 2025 Budget was presented by Dutch Finance Minister Eelco Heinen, who is serving under the newly-elected cabinet of Prime Minister Dick Schoof.
Gambling was a key part of the budget plans, with Heinen announcing an upcoming two-step income tax hike to be imposed on the Dutch sector. The baseline will gradually go up from the current 30.5% to 34.2% in 2025, with a second increase following in 2026 to bring the income tax up to 37.8%.
The hikes were conceived as part of Schoof’s goal to reduce gambling harm in the country by opening up additional revenue streams to fund prevention and treatment campaigns.
It is all part of the ongoing wider reforms of the Dutch Remote Gambling Act (KOA), first undertaken by the former Legal Protections Minister Franc Weerwind.
One of the gambling establishments that is shaping up to be hit significantly from the tax hikes is state-owned Holland Casino, which would need substantial financial resources to withstand the changes and circumvent losses.
The casino has already announced plans to reduce operating hours across its venues in Rotterdam and Amsterdam starting next year. In addition, its branch in Zandvoort has already been confirmed for closure by February 2025.
Commenting on the upcoming restructuring, Petra de Ruiter, Holland Casino CEO, said: “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.”
Now, the casino is reaching out to trade unions in the country to try and build up a counter-stance against the tax hikes.
The news was shared by Dutch trade union De Unie. One of the conditions of the union is for Holland Casino to launch the voluntary departure scheme (VAA), which is part of the Netherlands social plan.
Usually, this scheme is offered to employees and agreed with the unions in advance. Those who are offered the scheme can choose to either leave themselves or wait until an official dismissal procedure is initiated by the employer.
However, De Unie has also reported that the Holland Casino Board is currently against taking this path, arguing that every employee will be needed to maintain the normal operations of the casino once the tax hikes hit, and that it remains ready to allocate staff, including from the Zandvoort venue, to other branches in a reasonable time and manner.
