Five or so years ago Holland Casino refused me entry for dress code issues (fair enough - European casino culture is less about gaming and more about conservative ambiance; creating a place to “be seen”). As I went for the exit, a manager who overheard the refusal stopped me to make an exception, apologised, and offered me play money to stay. I was effectively paid to play, which is (or was) normal for casinos.

Now Holland Casino has the audacity to impose membership, and the membership is not gratis. It has become an exclusive club costing €7.50/yr. The membership requires showing an ID card. So you can no longer enter the casino anonymously and on top of being closely tracked you pay for the privilege.

Consider that Facebook offers a premium service where users can buy an ad-free UX -- but their data is still collected nonetheless. Pushovers have become conditioned to paying with money AND their data both.

IIRC, some riverboat casinos in North America charge an entry fee. But in that case it’s actually a tax imposed by the gov (I think), and you can still enter anonymously. It’s feasible that Holland Casino would be passing through a tax obligation, but seems unlikely since it’s per year not per entry.

Is Holland Casino the only game in town?

HC is the only proper casino in Amsterdam with table games. The rest are just machines/slots -- or so I am told. Is HC a nationwide casino monopoly? Are there any comprehensive casinos with table games in Netherlands? Paying a gatekeeper is a non-starter for me, and player’s club membership should be optional.