Dutch government to examine privatising Nederlandse Loterij

The Dutch government announced on 13 October that it will examine options for privatising the Nederlandse Loterij. It has not decided to sell it. The review is intended to set out the available sale options before any decision on privatisation is made. [1]

The government says the work will build on a 2023 report and involve an external adviser. It will consider how to protect the public from gambling harm and ensure games of chance are offered responsibly. It will also examine how charities that receive money from the Nederlandse Loterij might retain support after a possible sale, and what privatisation could mean for overall charitable payments, regulation and state finances. These are questions for the review, not conclusions about the effects of a sale. [1]

The government says the state secretary for Finance will update the lower house of parliament in the first quarter of 2027. It also says it will submit the review’s results no later than the second half of that year. Only if it then decides to privatise would a legislative and sale process begin; the government expects that process to take several years. [1]