TLDR
- Holland Casino runs 13 locations across the Netherlands and has no casinos outside the country.
- CEO Petra de Ruiter says the state gambling tax rose to 37.8% of revenue in 2026.
- Public opinion on gambling stays negative, but Holland Casino keeps a good reputation with players.
- The company backs a legal case against Meta over illegal gambling ads on its platforms.
- Holland Casino is marking 50 years in business this year.
Holland Casino is one of the most well known casino operators in Europe. The company runs 13 locations across the Netherlands and holds a state monopoly on table games, poker, and bingo.
Petra de Ruiter has led the company as CEO since 2022. Before that, she spent 24 years working in aviation, including a long stretch at Transavia Airlines.
She says her background in a highly regulated industry helped her move into casino management. Both fields require balancing entertainment with strict rules and risk.
German visitors often travel across the border to visit Holland Casino locations in the south of the country. De Ruiter says these guests enjoy a different mix of games and dining compared to casinos in Germany.
Every location offers slots, table games like blackjack and roulette, and at least one restaurant. Some larger sites also include a live presenter setup called Next Zone, which blends slots and table games with a social, interactive feel.
Tax Hikes and Rising Costs
The Dutch government raised gambling taxes twice in recent years. The rate climbed to 34.2% of gross gaming revenue at the start of 2025.
In 2026, that rate rose again to 37.8%. Once labor taxes are added, Holland Casino pays close to 52% of revenue to the state before covering its own operating costs.
De Ruiter says the company responded by restructuring its head office and cutting costs elsewhere. She says the goal was to keep the customer experience the same despite the added financial pressure.
The company also introduced a version of roulette with a double zero, a first for the Dutch market. De Ruiter says this and other changes to the Next Zone concept are part of ongoing efforts to keep the business competitive.
Fighting the Illegal Gambling Market
De Ruiter says Dutch public opinion toward gambling remains critical, similar to attitudes in the UK, Germany, France, and Finland. She says people tend to focus on cases where gambling causes harm rather than the larger number of people who gamble safely.
Even so, she says trust in the Holland Casino brand itself has stayed strong. The company has built its reputation partly around responsible gambling programs, including an outside board that reviews its policies.
De Ruiter says the bigger problem facing the sector is the illegal online gambling market. She says unlicensed operators continue to pull Dutch players away from legal, regulated sites.
This week, Dutch state lottery operator Nederlandse Loterij ordered an offshore operator behind the Skyhills brand to stop serving players in the Netherlands. De Ruiter says actions like this show operators are working together against illegal platforms.
Holland Casino is a member of the Dutch gambling trade group VNLOK, which represents most licensed operators in the country. The group has filed a lawsuit against Meta, accusing the platform of allowing large volumes of illegal gambling ads to run.
De Ruiter says VNLOK estimates about 70,000 ads for illegal gambling operators appear on Meta platforms each month, compared to two or three thousand ads from licensed operators. She says the trade group is pushing regulators and lawmakers to address the gap.
De Ruiter says a strong legal market, rather than a total ban, is the best way to protect players. She adds that competition between licensed operators has taken a back seat to the shared goal of fighting illegal gambling sites.
