Dutch gaming regulator “means business” with fines against five operators

The KSA’s latest fines against online gaming operators total €26m.

The Netherlands.- The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has announced that it has fined five online gambling operators a total of €26m. The fines were issued against operators that the KSA says were targeting the market without local licences.

The operators hit with penalties are N1 Interactive, Videoslots, BetPoint Group, Probe Investments and Fairload Limited. The KSA says the fines were issued in December 2022 but it has only made the announcement today because the operators had made legal appeals to attempt to block the regulator from naming them publicly.

That request has been turned down by court, leading the regulator to publish the names of the operators and the details of each fine. Videoslots had already preempted that move by criticising the fine and announcing that it would appeal.

Videoslots was fined €9.9m for displaying the KSA logo on its website despite not having a Dutch online gaming licence. The operator says this was a mistake that occurred during tests and that the logo was soon removed. It denies targeting the Dutch market and claims the KSA’s fine is based on “guesstimates”.

The other fines include €1.8m against Betpoint Group, €1.1m against Probe Investments and €900,000 against Fairload, all for operating without a Dutch licence. The KSA said the amount of each fine followed its policy of basing fines on the estimated turnover of each operator.

However, the largest fine of €12.6m was slapped on N1 Interactive. It received a heavier penalty for being a repeat violator. It had already been fined for operating without a Dutch licence in July 2021, before the Netherlands’ regulated online gambling market opened.

The KSA said: “Offering online games of chance to players in the Netherlands is only allowed with a license from the KSA. Strict rules and regulations apply to ensure that there is a safe legal offer, through which players are assured of a fair game and are protected against gambling addiction.”

Chairman René Jansen added: “We mean business. Player safety is paramount. A fine must hit where it hurts, in the wallet. With such amounts, we think we can impose an appropriate sanction, given the illegal earnings.”