Dutch gambling regulator issues record fine for failure to protect younger gamblers
One operator faces a €734,000 fine, while another has received a warning for advertising aimed at minors.
The Netherlands.- The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) is showing it means business in protecting minors and young adult gamblers. It’s announced a fine against one operator for failing to protect young adults from gambling harm, while another operator has been warned over its advertising.
In the first case, the KSA says it issued a fine of €734,000 against an unnamed Dutch gambling licensee because the company failed to adequately protect young adults against excessive gambling and gambling addiction.
The regulator noted that licensed gambling companies have a duty of care and must protect players as much as possible against excessive gambling and gambling addiction. It started an investigation of the operator in question due to signals about large losses suffered by young adults.
In the investigation, a selection of 10 of its player files with the largest losses was examined. Violations were found in all 10 files. These were young adult players (18 to 23 years old) who gambled away tens of thousands of euros in often a relatively short period of time, the KSA said.
The KSA often names operators that are hit with fines, but the operator in question has requested an interim court injunction to prevent publication. The judge has ruled that the question of whether the fine was correctly imposed is too complicated to answer now. Until the KSA has responded to an objection, it cannot name the operator. It said it will do so if it becomes legally possible.
Michel Groothuizen, chairman of the KSA’s board said: ‘We have a licensed gambling market based on the idea that anyone who wants to gamble can do so safely. That is why providers have a duty of care towards their players and must respond adequately to excessive gaming. Major losses are an important signal of that. We have intensified our supervision of the online duty of care, and we take tough action against violations such as those we find here, because we really do not want to see providers continue to fail in their duty of care, especially for vulnerable young players.’
Warning against 711 BV
In a separate enforcement action, the KSA has warned 711 BV for showing gambling advertisements on a website aimed at minors. The warning followed a report from a parent who saw an advertising banner from 711 on a website linked to homework assignments from primary schools.
Under Dutch law, gambling providers are not allowed to advertise to vulnerable groups, including minors. The KSA has signalled that it views such advertising to be a serious violation and that it will make action against it a regulatory priority for 2025.
The 711 advertising campaign was carried out by an external partner, which placed banners on various websites, including sites partly aimed at minors. In a conversation with the regulator, 711 indicated that it had already discovered this itself after an internal investigation and had taken measures to prevent recurrence. However, the KSA criticised the operator for failing to report the matter.
The regulator stressed that it is the responsibility of gambling providers to comply with the laws and regulations when they outsource advertising campaigns to external parties. Incidents must also be reported immediately, regardless of whether an internal investigation is already underway. It noted that it can still take enforcement action, even if an external partner is involved.
Meanwhile, the Dutch gambling provider trade body VNLOK has expressed concern over the growth of black market gambling in the Netherlands after the Dutch gambling regulator’s spring 2025 report suggested that channelisation rate to licensed offerings was just 50 per cent in the second half of 2024.
The KSA’s monitoring report highlighted the impact of the new Dutch gambling deposit limits introduced in October. The report shows that fewer players are losing significant amounts of money, with examples of extreme losses dropping sharply. However, licensed gambling revenue declined.
