Arno Rutte, the Dutch State Secretary for Justice and Security, has continued the Netherlands’ online gambling path towards reform by putting forward a list of evidence-based research to the Kamer (Parliament).

Previously worked on by Teun Struycken, Secretary for Legal Protections, the reforms to the Netherlands online gambling framework under the KOA Act were dropped after Struycken announced a walkout in protest to conflicting geopolitical views among top Dutch politicians.

With the Dutch gambling sector being put in a freefall for a bit as a result, the procedures have now been picked up by Arno Rutte, who has familiarised himself in detail with a list of studies that explore the impact of the already-implemented reforms and the areas in dire need of improvement.

For one, Rutte highlighted the potential policy options regarding slot machines, analysed by Atlas Research. While not entirely online-focused, the findings concluded that regulations around land-based slot machines can be further developed if gambling harm is to be meaningfully dealt with.

Atlas further deduced that policy designs around land-based gambling should be an act of perfect balancing between player protection, measures against gambling-related crime, as well as securing profitability for operators in order to justify continuous investments into the space.

On the topic of problem gambling, the Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC) noted that gambling problems often occur when there is a limited knowledge of the risks with gambling, that harms can impact anyone from all walks of life, and that support is often delayed due to reduced visibility. 

Also of importance is the recent research by Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch regulator, into this year’s increased gambling tax. Put forward by Rutte, the results showed that the tax appears to have missed its intended goal of raising €100m in tax revenue.

Stricter player protection rules actually caused the estimated revenue for 2025 to reach around €40m, which is 5% lower YoY than the previous year. 

After the tax rate was increased from 30.5% in 2024 to 34.2% in January of this year, a further hike to 37.8% is planned for 2026 – a move backed by PM Dick Schoof.

Rutte expects the above evidence to help further mould the revision of the Remote Gambling Act, which Struycken commented on back in February: “The most important principle in the new vision is the protection of all citizens against the risks of negative effects of gambling, such as addiction or debt.

“Special attention must be paid to minors and young adults. The reason for this change of course is that the current gambling policy does not yet sufficiently protect people against the risks of gambling.”