One of the most important votes is about to take place in the Netherlands as the country’s Senate is set to decide whether to allow online gambling within the territory. If this will have a positive outcome, then it is projected to will lead a significant operator interest for a slice of the Dutch gambling pie. Initially, the vote was about to take place during the previous week, but the Senate thought that it would be better to postpone it. We should remind that in 2017 the lower house voted in favor of online gambling, giving the sports betting industry its first great victory within the Netherlands.
For now, only the online casinos are regulated and legal in the territory, but in case the outcome is positive more than 50 betting operators are expected to apply for a license. In case online gambling is ultimately allowed, the companies will have to pay an initial 29% GGR tax, which is one of the highest rates in Europe. Of course, it is expected that there will be a focus on responsible gaming, while the estimated revenue lost in the previous year, because of the illegal gambling was estimated on €175 million.