Dutch Government to reassess privatisation of state-owned lottery

The Dutch government has announced an investigation into its state shareholding structure and the potential future privatisation of Nederlandse Loterij.

In May 2025, the State Secretary for Finance decided to carry out a long-term review of Nederlandse Loterij's role as a state-owned enterprise. In a letter to the House of Representatives on Monday, 8 June 2026, the State Secretary confirmed that a follow-up investigation will now be launched into the potential for privatisation.

This development follows a 2023 review. That earlier review examined three possible options, with the first being full privatisation. The second was a partial spin-off, including the privatisation of online gambling operations. The third was maintaining full state ownership, which was ultimately the option chosen at the time.

Nederlandse Loterij CEO stated: “It is positive that the Cabinet is taking the next step and reviewing its shareholding in Nederlandse Loterij, thereby further exploring the possibility of privatisation. Nederlandse Loterij wants to be the most responsible gambling provider.

“We can be and remain so only if we can consistently compete with international competitors in the Dutch market for lotteries and online gambling. It is precisely to maintain this position that Nederlandse Loterij sees advantages in becoming independent.”

The letter from the State Secretary leaves the timeline for the follow-up investigation and parliamentary decision-making open, whereas Nederlandse Loterij highlights that clarity on this matter would be beneficial to all parties involved. The operator hopes that this timeline will be further specified.

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