Nederlandse Loterij reports €8m loss as tax rise cuts contribution

Nederlandse Loterij reported a net loss of €8m ($9.1m) for 2025, compared with a €31m profit in 2024, as higher gambling tax, online deposit limits and retail changes weighed on its results. 

The Dutch operator said net revenue fell by €43m to €681m, while stakes declined 15% to €5.14bn. Prize money also dropped to €4.48bn, compared with €5.36bn a year earlier. 

Its gross revenue result, calculated as net revenue minus gambling tax and levies, decreased to €574m from €615m. EBITDA was not disclosed in the captured annual report summary, but total result before tax and contributions was €192m, down from €235m in 2024. 

The operator’s total contribution to Dutch sport, charities and the state reached €200.6m, slightly below €203.6m in 2024. This included €53.8m for NOC*NSF, €20.4m for Stichting Aanwending Loterijgelden Nederland and €126.4m for the State of the Netherlands.

Dutch betting and lottery tax increased from 30.5% to 34.2% on 1 January 2025, before rising again to 37.8% from 2026. 

The Dutch Government introduced the measure to increase tax income, but operators and trade groups have warned that higher tax can reduce the appeal of licensed products.

Nederlandse Loterij CEO, Arjan Blok, said: “The tax increase is counterproductive; players are less protected, our contributions to sports and charities are decreasing, and state tax revenues are declining.”

The warning comes as the Kansspelautoriteit has reported pressure on channelisation by revenue. In 2025, the illegal online market was estimated at around €617m in H1, ahead of the €600m generated by licensed operators.

Nederlandse Loterij also said it developed a calculation method for measuring the illegal market, which it said had been validated and adopted by the KSA. The operator continued legal action against Lalabet in 2025. 

Last month, Nederlandse Loterij launched legal action against Qbet, describing it as the largest illegal gambling site targeting the Netherlands, after the KSA had already fined Novatech Solutions nearly €25m.