Dutch gambling regulator raps Betca over advert in mobile game
The operator said the ad appeared as a result of human error.
The Netherlands.- The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has had words with the igaming operator Betca after an advertisement appeared in a mobile game used by minors. The regulator said the company complied with its request to immediately remove the material.
Betca said the placement of the ad was the result of human error, and that it had taken steps to avoid future occurrences. The KSA said it would issue no penalty on this occasion but that it will monitor the operator’s marketing.
The Netherlands’ introduction of an almost complete ban on non-targeting gambling ads prohibits the placement of ads in non-gambling-related media or platforms. It argues that such placement could lead ads to be seen by minors or other vulnerable groups such as people who have self-excluded from gambling.
Last month, the KSA announced a record fine against a gambling operator for failing to protect young adults from gambling harm and warned another 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 had analysed a selection of 10 player files with the largest losses and found violations were in all 10.
Meanwhile, the regulator has warned that it will be monitoring for unlicensed slot machines following the closure of a number of licensed land-based gaming venues in the Netherlands.
