Dutch lottery warns of legal action against “biggest illegal gambling site”
Nederlandse Loterij says it will pursue every legal mechanism to stem what it sees as illegal competition from unlicensed gambling.
The Netherlands.- The Dutch national lottery operator Nederlandse Loterij has announced plans to pursue legal proceedings against Qbet and its associated entities. It described the brand as “the biggest illegal gambling site” targeting Dutch consumers.
Nederlandse Loterij said it intended to use every legal mechanism available to dismantle Qbet and the wider network behind it. Qbet is operated by Novatech, which also operates 55Bet. Last month, the Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit issued a record €24m fine against the operator for alleged repeated breaches of regulations.
While it’s unusual for a licensed gambling operator rather than a regulator to take legal action against a black market competitor, Nederlandse Loterij did set a precedent last year when it filed a pioneering case against Lalabet. That’s being heard at The Hague.
Novatech holds a licence from the autonomous Dutch Caribbean territory of Curaçao. It was recently subject to a banning order in Sweden.
Explaining the company’s stance, Arjan Blok, Chief Executive Officer of Nederlandse Loterij, said: “Players can still easily go to illegal gambling sites, without age checks and gaming limits and with irresponsible bonuses and misleading payment methods: 200,000 Dutch people are gambling illegally. It is precisely these players who run the greatest risks, because they play more often and with more money on illegal sites.
“That is why Nederlandse Loterij is taking responsibility and taking the biggest illegal gambling site to court. Not only the direct offender, but also everyone behind it who facilitates this site.”
