Dutch Gambling Minister Resigns Following Israel Sanctions Dispute

Teun Struycken, the Dutch State Secretary for Legal Protection, whose duties include oversight of gambling, has resigned, joining several other government officials in stepping down. Their resignations are in protest of the decision not to impose sanctions on Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Palestine.

Struycken’s Resignation Leaves Uncertainties for the Dutch Gambling Sector

As State Secretary, Struycken was involved in shaping gambling regulation in the Netherlands. With his resignation, however, Struycken steps away from the regulatory process, casting uncertainty over the future of proposed legislations.  For example, back in February, he indicated that a new gambling bill was likely to be introduced by the end of the year. Potential measures under consideration included raising the minimum age for access to higher-risk products, such as online slots.

There were some concerns about the approach Struycken could take to changing gambling laws. His party, the New Social Contract (NSC), previously announced plans to abolish online gambling in its manifesto. Even before the resignations, however, the Netherlands was already facing political uncertainty. On 3 June, the Dutch government collapsed when Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right Party for Freedom, withdrew from a four-party coalition. This led to the calling for a snap election, which is set for 29 October.

Putting Struycken’s Resignation Into Broader Context

Struycken’s resignation follows that of Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp and several other ministers, who also resigned after failing to secure cabinet support for additional sanctions against Israel. Veldkamp, a member of the center-right New Social Contract party, stated on Friday that he was unable to secure consensus on implementing “meaningful measures” and had consistently encountered pushback from colleagues regarding the sanctions that were already in effect.

His efforts included implementing entry bans on far-right Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, citing their involvement in inciting settler violence against Palestinians. Veldkamp also cancelled three export permits for naval ship components, pointing to “deteriorating conditions” in Gaza and the “risk of undesirable end use.”

Veldkamp’s departure leaves the Netherlands without a foreign minister at a critical time, as the European Union works through security commitments to Ukraine and ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States. In the wake of his departure, all ministers and state secretaries from the New Social Contract party also stepped down from the caretaker government in a show of solidarity with Veldkamp.