Land-based gambling operators in the Netherlands are coming under increased pressure as new regulatory figures reveal a continued drop in revenue across physical casinos and gaming halls.
Although the total licensed gambling market remained steady at €4.3bn in 2024, the land-based segment contracted further, highlighting a long-term shift toward online gambling and evolving consumer preferences.
The Netherlands Gambling Authority’s (KSA) latest Market Scan shows that land-based casino GGR decreased by €61m in 2024, falling to €1.30bn from €1.36bn the previous year (inflation-adjusted). Despite overall market stability, land-based operators still have not regained their pre-COVID performance. Compared with 2019, revenue remains 27% lower, signalling deeper structural challenges for businesses dependent on in-person visits.
The gaming halls sector also continued to shrink. The number of venues dropped from 217 in 2023 to 196 in 2024, and available machine positions declined sharply from 24,692 to 20,997. Holland Casino – the only licensed land-based casino operator in the country — reported 6,233 gaming positions at the end of 2024, slightly fewer than the year before. Its table games inventory also decreased to 364 tables across 14 locations, and the Zandvoort venue, which had very few tables left, permanently closed on 31 January.
Meanwhile, the online casino sector remained comparatively stable. Although online GGR fell by €13m in 2024, the channel still represented 46% of total casino revenue. The report attributes part of the decline to new deposit-limit rules introduced in October 2024, but online gambling continues to control a major share of the market.
These shifts are also affecting public finances. While overall gambling tax receipts increased slightly to €1.03bn due to a higher levy, land-based casinos contributed €396m – a decrease from €401m the previous year. The figures underscore the growing need for physical casinos to adapt as the market increasingly favours digital platforms.
In 2024, Dutch adults lost an average of €197 on land-based gambling compared with €101 online. Total consumer losses remain below the European average, but the data shows a steady movement toward digital channels as physical venues continue to contract.
Earlier KSA monitoring reports revealed that illegal online gambling kept expanding into the first half of 2025, even as the regulated market declined. For the first time since the Netherlands legalised online gambling in 2021, the unlicensed market has overtaken the legal one in size. This mirrors international trends, where stricter regulations often coincide with growth in offshore and grey-market operators.
From January to June 2025, licensed operators generated around €600m in GGR – a 14% decline from the previous period. The KSA attributed much of this drop to the stricter Responsible Gaming Policy 2024 and newly implemented spending-limit rules that took effect in October.
