Arno Rutte, who was recently appointed secretary of state for legal protection in the Netherlands, has said that he will use recommendations from new research to shape new policies on land-based slots in the country.
In a letter to the Dutch House of Representatives on Tuesday, Rutte highlighted five recent research reports on gambling, including the KSA’s recent piece on the impact of tax increases. The latter of these, published in late September, set out a series of proposed changes to regulation on Dutch slots.
Commissioned by the Dutch Scientific Research and Data Centre, the report looks at certain player protection issues facing slots. It points out that many regulations related to land-based slots have not been updated since the year 2000.
Cash remains king on slot machines
Among its key findings was that cash remains the preferred method of payment for physical slots players. This was more apparent among older players, with younger players leaning more towards contactless and card-based play.
The report noted the risks associated with cash gambling — primarily money laundering and robberies. However, it also highlighted barriers to cashless gaming, including how health experts said this could actually negatively impact users.
“Health experts indicated seeing and feeling cash, especially during the exchange process, can provide a moment of realisation for the player,” the report said.
“Introducing [personalised] player cards in the hospitality industry is also seen as difficult and expensive. From an addiction prevention perspective, cashless play only offers benefits if the player card is personalised so the player’s playing behaviour can be monitored and options such as personal playing limits are possible.”
Mixed response to ID checks for slots
The report also considered issues surrounding player identification. At present, only casinos and gaming halls require a full ID check, with hospitality venues only checking age. With this, researchers said industry stakeholders had identified a gap in current policy.
However, there was a somewhat mixed response to how this issue could be addressed in the long term. Those from a harm prevention background backed full player identification at all locations. Other respondents raised concerns over the cost of implementing such a system, as well as noting that this could drive players towards illegal gambling.
“Based on the results of the choice experiment it has become clear that the possible, the introduction of player accounts on physical slot machines could pose a barrier to entry for players,” the report said.
Spending limits still up for debate
Another primary focus area for researchers was playing limits, which the report said were already “strict” in the Netherlands. Stake limits are pre-set at each location and are not adjusted in line with inflation.
Researchers questioned whether this approach should be adjusted, given that limits have been the same since 2022, when the Netherlands first adopted the euro. At present, users can only wager a €0.20 stake and incur a maximum hourly loss of €40, with some calling for this to rise to €0.50 and €100, respectively.
There was a high level of support among respondents for a system that allowed players to set their own limits. However, again, some raised concerns about the costs associated with making such changes.
Finally, respondents were asked for their opinion on expanding the content available to slots players. At present, each machine is limited to only running a certain number of games, but there have been some calls to extend this.
However, for operators of casinos and gaming arcades, there was only limited demand for a wider range of slots. Again, respondents said the high level of investment would deter them from adding more content.
“Modernisation is simply not urgent for them because they can easily handle the existing technical regulations,” the report said.
Rutte set to oversee Dutch gambling reform
Rutte is new to the role of secretary of state for legal protection in the Netherlands. He recently took over from Teun Struycken, who stepped down over the decision to block sanctions against Israel due to the ongoing conflict in Palestine. Struycken was one of several ministers to exit over the matter.
Struycken’s departure came at a time of change for the Dutch gambling market. In February, he said a new gambling bill was expected by the end of the year. At the time, he said this could include measures such as increasing the age limit for higher-risk products like online slots.
With Struycken’s resignation, the status of the new bill is still very much up in the air. However, Rutte’s letter to the government suggests that work on potential changes to regulations remains ongoing.
That said, Dutch politics faces a decisive month, with a snap election having been called for 29 October. This follows the collapse of the government in June when Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right Party for Freedom, withdrew from a four-party coalition.
One change that is almost certain to happen is a further increase in gambling tax. This will rise to 37.8% of gross gaming revenue from 1 January 2026, subject to any late changes. It follows a rise from 30.5% to 34.2%, which came into effect on 1 January 2025.
New research sets out potential changes in player ID, limits and gaming content on land-based slots.