Dutch gambling regulator issues warning to Betnation over CRUKS self-exclusion check failures
A technical fault allowed at least one self-excluded player to keep gambling on the site for months.
The Netherlands.- The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has issued a formal warning to Smart Gaming, the licensed operator of online gambling platform Betnation, after the company failed to verify players against the national self-exclusion register CRUKS between January and March.
The regulator said a technical fault prevented CRUKS checks from being carried out for a number of players, allowing at least one person registered in CRUKS to gamble on the platform. Consulting CRUKS has been mandatory since the launch of the regulated online gambling market in the Netherlands in October 2021.
Betnation self-reported the incident to the KSA. The company subsequently carried out manual checks on the affected players, paid financial compensation to those impacted and introduced measures to prevent a recurrence. It also said it would work with responsible gambling partners to provide additional support.
The KSA said: “The KSA is very sorry that the CRUKS checks have not been carried out. Players who register themselves in CRUKS do this to protect themselves and must be able to assume that they will therefore not be able to gamble with licensed providers.
“The KSA expects all providers to carry out CRUKS checks correctly. Providers are responsible for a well-functioning control system and must immediately identify and solve technical problems. The KSA continues to monitor this closely.”
CRUKS serves as the central self-exclusion register in the Netherlands. People can register via the Gokstop system to exclude themselves from licensed online gambling operators, physical casinos and slot machine arcades. Approximately 118,000 people are currently enrolled.
