The Nederlandse Loterij is on the search for new leadership as the Chairman of its Supervisory Board, Alexander Pechtold, is shifting careers back to politics.
Pechtold has been elected Mayor of Deft, a historic city in the Rotterdam-The Hague metropolitan area, and so will be leaving the Supervisory Board on 1 January 2026.
He had been due to serve another four-year term as Chair, at the requests of the Ministry of Finance, having recently concluded his first year tenure, during which the Dutch Lottery has navigated numerous market changes.
Pechtold remarked: “Since my appointment, I have greatly enjoyed serving as chairman. The Nederlandse Loterij is a wonderful company, with great brands, fantastic products and colleagues who provide responsible gambling with great energy and passion.
“I leave behind an organization that is ready for the future, with a clear positioning, an ambitious strategy and enthusiastic and driven employees.
“I thank my fellow board members for their confidence in me and have every confidence in the board and the management to continue to be successful in the future. I will remain fully involved until 1 January 2026, to ensure a smooth transition to a new chairman.”
Pechtold took the reins of the Nederlandse Loterij in April 2021, five months before the Netherlands re-regulated gambling under a mulit-licence regulatory framework, the KOA Act.
The following years have seen the lottery compete with regulated market newcomers, with the number of betting firms expanding from an initial 10 in October to well over 30 by this year.
The Nederlandse Loterij has praised Pechtold’s contributions to its operations over the past four years, including hiring three new Supervisory Board members, overseeing the implementation of a new governance structure, and appointing its CEO.
His tenure has seen the lottery come up against the same hurdles as some other Dutch regulated market players, however. Back in 2022 it was reprimanded for advertising breaches, for example, though it has also emerged as a leading company with regards to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and responsible gaming.
The end of his tenure comes amid further regulatory changes in the Netherlands led by the Minister for Legal Protections, Teun Struycken. This has been temporarily shelved, however, following the collapse of the Dutch coalition government in June, with a general election scheduled for 28 October.
Frida van den Maagdenberg, Member of the Supervisory Board, said: “I deeply regret Alexander Pechtold’s departure. The board is grateful for the way he fulfilled his role as chairman with integrity, using his skill, flair, and energy. The board therefore expresses its appreciation for Alexander’s efforts over the past four years. We will miss him!”