The Dutch Government has set out a timetable for a detailed study of whether state-owned operator Nederlandse Loterij could be privatised, with findings due to parliament by the second half of 2027.
The plan, detailed in a Finance Ministry letter on 13 October, will examine different sale options using an external adviser. Finance State Secretary Eelco Eerenberg said the work would build on a 2023 report that identified possible ownership models but left questions about their implementation unresolved.
The ministry plans to assess how public interests could be protected under private ownership. Its work will consider gambling licence conditions, requirements for a buyer and governance arrangements that might preserve responsible gambling standards.
Nederlandse Loterij's portfolio includes the Staatsloterij and Lotto lottery brands, alongside TOTO Sport and TOTO Casino. Any ownership change would therefore affect businesses operating under different gambling licences and player-protection requirements.
Funding for sport and charities is another central issue. The study will look at legal and governance measures to maintain contributions to organisations that currently receive money from Nederlandse Loterij, as well as the wider effect on donations to civil society.
It will also map the legislative changes required for each privatisation option and compare their financial consequences and practical feasibility against continued state ownership. The ministry intends to take account of recent developments in online gambling and a separate gambling policy review expected by the end of 2026.
The move follows an evolving government position on the operator's future. In May 2025, the cabinet decided to retain Nederlandse Loterij, saying a sale at that stage was neither feasible nor proportionate given the legal changes and player-protection risks involved.
The possibility returned to the agenda in June 2026, when the Finance Ministry announced that it would conduct follow-up research into state ownership. Nederlandse Loterij said it saw advantages in operating independently but acknowledged that the final decision belongs to policymakers. The October letter now gives that review a defined scope and timetable.
Eerenberg expects to update parliament on progress in the first quarter of 2027. The Government says any eventual decision to privatise would then require separate legislation and a sale process likely to take several years.
In May, Nederlandse Loterij reported a loss and reduced contributions to sport, charities and the state, illustrating why beneficiary funding features in the new review.
Nederlandse Loterij has said it sees benefits in independent ownership, while recognising that its future ownership is a political decision
