Poker in the Netherlands - Laws and Taxes

We explored the state of poker in the casinos of the Netherlands last month. Now, I think it is time to give you insight into some of the problems the Dutch have when cashing out their winnings. That's right, we have even found ways to make winning a problem!



At PokerInfo.nl, the most popular informative poker website of the Netherlands, we have a pretty good idea of what is keeping the field of poker players busy these days.



As in most countries, legal matters are becoming a bigger issue every day. It seems that in theory, playing poker online is allowed in the Netherlands, but it is illegal for the poker rooms to offer us the games – a situation strikingly similar to the coffee shops regulation. But while the government lets the soft-drug industry be, it seems to be planning more harsh measures for the online gambling and poker providers. That's understandable, since all of the online casinos and poker rooms are established abroad and therefore not contributing to the Dutch treasury through taxes.



And it does not seem like the Dutch government can expect much income through taxes from the poker players themselves. There is a big argument about the legal status of money earned through playing poker, and the taxes that will need to be paid accordingly. Even when you disregard the income tax issue, which is thus far a very shady area, there is still the tax on games of chance ("kansspelbelasting") to worry about.



As long as poker is seen as a game of chance, these taxes will apply to games in which one wins a sum of more than €454 in one game. That is the equivalent of 1,000 old Dutch guilders, and yes, I said it had to be won in one game. That means in one pot, not in one session. So, theoretically, you would have to count the number of hands you won with more than €454 in the pot, and the exact amount of money that was in the pot, and then pay taxes accordingly. Does that seem hard to keep track of to you? Well, it does to most players, too.



And then there are the tournaments. They never consist of one hand, but the money is paid at once. Now what do you do? Online forums, such as ours, are filled with discussions like these.



Yes, these are fast times, my friends, and changes lie ahead of us. But, we will be there to keep giving you the inside information you so longingly seek.



Anthon-Pieter Wink is a writer for www.PokerInfo.nl.