Holland Casino begins construction of new Groningen casino

The state-owned operator has lacked a permanent venue in the north since 2017, and its online licence now runs to 2031.

Holland Casino held a ground-breaking ceremony at Businesspark Ter Borch beside the A7 on 30 October 2026, formally starting work on the building that will replace its Groningen casino.

Ground-breaking at Ter Borch

Employees, construction partners and municipal representatives attended the ceremony. Chief executive Petra de Ruiter performed the opening act alongside Marcel Thijsen, mayor of Tynaarlo, and Richard van den Broek, one of the Groningen casino’s original employees, according to Holland Casino’s announcement of the construction start.

‘Here, we are not only building a new property, but also a place where guests feel welcome and where our employees can work with pride. After years of preparation, it is special to see the plans actually becoming reality,’ de Ruiter said.

Thijsen stressed the project’s importance for the region. Holland Casino said the venue will support the further development of the business park and strengthen the appeal of the A7 location, which offers good access for visitors from Groningen, Drenthe and surrounding regions.

The casino is being developed with a focus on the surrounding area, sustainability, accessibility and hospitality, the company said. It has not disclosed an opening date, capacity or cost. When it chose the Ter Borch site in September 2023, Holland Casino said it expected the new venue to open in 2027.

Without a permanent Groningen site since 2017

The operator’s previous Groningen casino, on the Gedempte Kattendiep, was destroyed by fire on 27 August 2017, and Holland Casino opened a temporary pop-up casino in the city in 2018, according to its company history.

The new site sits on the edge of the municipality of Tynaarlo, just outside the city.

Online licence renewed to 2031

The construction start follows the renewal of Holland Casino’s online licence. In September, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) granted its first eight follow-up licences for online gambling, including one for Holland Casino Online, valid from October 2026 to September 2031. The original licences were issued in 2021, when online gambling became legal in the Netherlands, and expired at the end of September 2026. The same month, the regulator extended Lotto BV’s exclusive licences to 2031.

Responding to the decision, de Ruiter said the company would keep player protection first and that the regulated market must remain attractive enough to keep players away from unregulated providers, Holland Casino said in August. Her comments come as the Dutch licensed gambling market shrinks, as European Gaming reported last week.

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