Holland Casino Reports Revenue Decline in 2024 Amid Rising Tax Burden
Holland Casino ended 2024 with a 4.1% drop in annual revenue and a sharp fall in pre-tax profit. The Dutch state-owned operator warns that the current trajectory of rising gambling taxes threatens the financial viability of responsible gaming policies.
Revenue Falls
Holland Casino reported total revenue of €784 million for 2024, marking a 4.1% drop from the previous year. The decline, amounting to €33.7 million, was echoed in pre-tax profits, which fell from €31.9 million in 2023 to just €1.3 million. Online operations took a sharper hit, generating €85.2 million—down nearly 27% year-on-year.
Despite the setbacks, CEO Petra de Ruiter characterized the year as a positive one in terms of operational progress, particularly in the domain of safe and responsible gaming.
“I think it is important to emphasize that prevention is and remains human work. Safety and responsible gaming require sufficient investment space”, she said.
In contrast to the financial figures, visitor numbers told a more optimistic story. Over 5.2 million people visited Holland Casino branches in 2024—a signal, the company believes, of continued public appreciation.
Industry peers took note too. The Venlo location earned the title of Best Casino in Europe, while the Utrecht branch received accolades for its sustainability work.
Rising Tax Pressure Sparks Industry Concerns
One of the most pressing issues looming over Holland Casino is taxation. In 2024 alone, the operator paid €222.6 million in gambling tax. With a second tax hike to 37.8% slated for January 2026, the company has warned that such a burden—amounting to over half of gross turnover when combined with other levies—could undermine its ability to fulfill the very regulatory goals the government is promoting.
In a clear message to policymakers, Holland Casino urged the Dutch government to reconsider the proposed increase, warning that current strategies for fostering safer gambling would be financially unsustainable under the new regime. The company criticized what it views as a contradictory approach: increasing fiscal pressure while demanding more from operators in terms of consumer protection.
In 2024, the company invested heavily in its responsible gaming initiatives. Among the measures introduced were the discontinuation of 24/7 gaming in its Rotterdam and Amsterdam-West branches, a new online risk detection system, and an enhanced internal protocol for identifying and responding to problematic gambling behavior.
Public information was also simplified to a B1 language level to ensure broader accessibility, and the advisory board on prevention was expanded. These moves, according to de Ruiter, represent “significant progress” in the casino’s mission to align business operations with public health goals.
Looking ahead, Holland Casino anticipates stable revenue in the first quarter of 2025, aided by cost-cutting measures already in place. However, the company signals that further belt-tightening may no longer be feasible. “With the – sometimes painful – cost-saving measures taken, we believe that the stretch is largely over,” de Ruiter said.