KSA issues warnings over violations of Dutch gambling ads ban

The Dutch gambling regulator says it issued three warnings last month.

The Netherlands.- The Dutch gaming regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has reported that it has issued three warnings for violations of the Netherlands’ newly introduced ban on untargeted gambling adverts. The ban entered force on July 1, covering all untargeted ads on TV, radio and in public places.

However, the KSA says that it identified three cases in which gambling adverts on billboards and bus shelters remained in place after the ban came into effect. It says that after it contacted the three operators in question to ask for information about the campaigns, they took “adequate responses and immediate action”. As a result, the regulator decided to issue warnings rather than fines. It says that the adverts did not reappear.

The Dutch ban on gambling ads only permits advertising online via direct email or social media. The KSA aims for 95 per cent of those who view the ads to be over 24.

In July, the KSA reported on its enforcement actions in the first half of the year. It says it investigated crypto payments, probed illegal gambling offerings on social media and plans to sanction four websites.

The KSA carried out 32 investigations into illegal gambling offerings on social media. It says it launched probes into posts on Facebook and Instagram and that the accounts were closed by the platforms’ owner Meta at the KSA’s behest.

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