Dutch regulator raps online casino operator over inaccessible customer service
The KSA warned Lucky 7 Casino after customers were unable to contact the operator.
The Netherlands.- Dutch gambling operators must ensure that their customer service departments can be contacted and provide services in the Dutch language, the regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has stressed. It’s issued a warning to Noord Zuid Alliantie, the operator of Lucky 7 Casino, after customers complained that they were unable to contact a human.
The KSA said consumers who phoned Lucky 7 Casino’s customer service line were hit with a recording in English telling them that nobody was available to take their call. The regulator also found that some of the responsible gambling information on the brand’s website was published in English only.
It noted that as a holder of a Dutch online gambling licence, the operator had a duty to provide Dutch-language customer service channels and to ensure that they were always available and easy to access.
The KSA said: “This is important because players, certainly in the context of the duty of care, must always be able to contact the provider in Dutch with questions or concerns about their gaming behaviour. The website must also be available in Dutch.”
The KSA also raised concerns about Lucky 7’s adherence to the Dutch self-exclusion scheme, Cruks. It said it received reports from users who said they were able to gamble after self-excluding. Some even reported receiving pop-up messages prompting them to make additional deposits after they had excluded from gambling.
After discussions with the KSA, Lucky 7 Casino has since resolved all issues. The regulator said it would continue to monitor the operator and could take enforcement action if future breaches are detected.
Dutch gambling reforms
Kansspelautoriteit has detailed its 2025 strategy. It says that four years after the launch of the Dutch online betting market in October 2021, the market is still developing and faces ongoing threats from black market operators. It said its work “tackling the infrastructure around illegal providers” will continue in 2025.
It said: “The KSA has advocated at the ministry and in politics for new powers, such as the ability to black out illegal websites. Revision of the advertising regulations is also an important instrument that the KSA advocates, so that advertising by illegal immigrants and third parties can also be tackled more effectively.”
Advertising is being made a priority area, and the KSA recently warned Dutch media over mentions of illegal betting platforms. The regulator told 42 editorial offices to remove direct links to unlicensed providers and or affiliate sites promoting unlicensed sites. It has also written to all media outlets to offer advice to prevent future violations of advertising rules.
Meanwhile, the Dutch government is considering further gambling reforms, which could include raising the minimum age for online slots from 18 to 21. The KSA is expected to be granted more powers to tackle unlicensed gambling.
In a round-table discussion last week, Helma Lodders, chair of VNLOK, presented the views of industry bodies. A top priority for the trade bodies VNLOK and NOGA is to avoid a ban on all gambling advertising. The Netherlands banned untargeted gambling ads in July 2023, but Teun Struycken, the minister for legal protection in the Netherlands, has suggested that stricter rules will be introduced to limit the appeal of online gambling specifically.
The Dutch market grew by 4.9 per cent last year, much less than the 28.9 per cent growth the year before. Meanwhile, Dutch gambling tax rate rose from 30.5 per cent to 34.2 per cent this year and will rise again to 37.8 per cent next year.
