KSA fines Sarah Eternal for offering online gambling in the Netherlands
The KSA says CasinoSky could be accessed from the Netherlands.
The Netherlands.- The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has issued a €900,000 fine against Costa Rica-headquartered Sarah Eternal SRL. It says the operator was illegally offering gambling in the Netherlands via the CasinoSky website since it had taken no measures to stop Dutch players from using the site.
The KSA noted that CasinoSky is not licensed in the Netherlands. It had already fined the site’s operator €280,000 in March 2024 after an initial inspection found that it was possible to access the site from the Netherlands. On a follow-up check, the KSA’s inspectors found that it was still possible to make deposits with Dutch credit cards, while the telephone number field in the registration form was automatically filled with the Dutch +31 country code. The Netherlands was not listed as an excluded country in terms of service.
KSA chairman Michel Groothuizen said: “With this type of illegal provider, we often see that no measures are taken for the prevention of risky gaming behaviour. For example, there was no age verification, which means that minors can play, and the possibility to gamble with cryptocurrency was offered. At KSA, we take tough action against such parties.”
The KSA gave Sarah Eternal six weeks to pay the fine or make an appeal.
KSA warning over autoplay features
Meanwhile, the KSA has written to all online gambling licensees in the Netherlands to warn them that autoplay features are not allowed under Dutch gambling regulations. It took the measure after ordering an operator to remove an autoplay feature following a tip-off from a customer who complained that they were not removed from an online roulette table after a win and were able to automatically continue playing.
Since the feature usually comes enabled by third-party providers, operators have been advised to inspect products and to ensure providers were aware of the restriction.
In other news, the KSA has won a legal battle over its rejection of a licence application from a Malta-based online gambling operator. The Hague District Court has ruled in favour of the regulator after the applicant appealed.
