Dutch consumer protection bodies are threatening a number of operators with legal action over alleged anti-consumer practices.
The Consumers’ Association (CA) and the Consumer Competition Claims Foundation (CCCF) have issued a statement against bet365, BetCity, Holland Casino Online, Jacks, Unibet and TOTO, accusing them of misleading practices and insufficient player protection measures based on a study conducted by CA in 2023.
Holland Casino compliant with regulations
Ilan Sluis, Senior Spokesperson for Holland Casino, stated to SBC News that the operator has taken note of the announcement of a collective action, but that all points publicly raised by the Consumers’ Association in 2023 have now been cleared.
“Holland Casino Online was informed at an earlier stage about the Consumers’ Association’s investigation,” Sluis said. “Following their findings that weren’t necessarily against the law, we have made improvements to our offering and communicated these changes back to both the Association and the regulator.
“Holland Casino Online works hard every day to enhance its offering based on new insights and developments. We are happy to engage in further discussions with the Consumers’ Association regarding their observations.”
Sluis added that Holland Casino’s online deposit limits are on par with the KOA-mandated ones, with the operator strictly following the reforms introduced in late 2024 that tied a player’s monthly deposit limits to their age, and introduced strict financial checks for requests to increase that set amount.
Furthermore, Sluis assured that Holland Casino’s webpage includes all bonus terms and game conditions displayed comprehensively for players.
SBC News has also contacted all other named operators for a comment.
Lawsuit least needed now
Should the lawsuit go ahead, it could prove a financial strain not only for Holland Casino but also for all operators named by the Consumers’ Association. Gambling providers active in the Dutch market were faced with a stark tax increase at the start of this year, with the tax rate going up from 30.5% to 34.2% earlier in January. Another increase to 37.8% is scheduled to take place next year.
Still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, Holland Casino took a hit during 2024 trading, ending the year with a 4.1% decrease in revenue with all opening units being affected. Online revenues for FY24 were down to €85m from the €116m in 2023.
This year’s tax hike ate into the operator’s financial standings, adding €13.5m in additional costs for H1. However, cost-savings maneuvers allowed Holland Casino to cut operating expenses down by €30.1m, which led to H1 profit before corporate tax standing at €14.2m – contrasted by the €3.5m loss for the same period last year.
Meanwhile, Holland Casino management remains wary of the upcoming tax changes, with CFO Ruud Bergervoet stating: “The financial pressure remains as high as ever, especially in view of the planned second increase in gambling tax in 2026.”
The upcoming tax increase, however, might have the opposite effect intended, with post-tax hike evaluations showing that licensed online GGR in H1 has plunged downwards compared to the same period last year.