KSA raids illegal bingo event in the Netherlands

The illegal bingo business was based near Rotterdam.

The Netherlands.- The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has closed an illegal bingo operator in Dordrecht. It said illegal bingo events were drawing hundreds of customers, including minors.

The KSA has already acted against the Dordtse Queens bingo business before when it asked Meta to remove advertising for the business from Facebook. However, the regulator said the business continued to advertise and run illegal bingo operations via other pages.

In the latest action, inspectors raided a physical bingo event in Dordrecht and found 200 people attending the event. They seized bingo prizes including brand-name clothes and shoes.

In the Netherlands, associations can run bingo to raise money for charitable causes but a local municipality permit is required and prizes cannot be worth more than €1,550. Other than this, bingo can only be played within a closed group of acquaintances.

The KSA said: “The KSA sees that people are not always aware of the rules surrounding bingo and lotteries. In principle, participation in illegal bingo is also punishable and minors are not allowed to participate. The organisers of illegal lotteries and bingos also risk a high fine.”

KSA warns Holland Casino could face sanctions

Last week, the KSA warned the state-controlled gambling brand Holland Casino to bring its control database (CDB) in line with legal requirements. It says the operator could be fined or even lose its online gambling licence after the District Court of The Hague told it to respect an order from the regulator.

CBDs, to which the KSA has access, store data on gambling activity. The KSA has been finding fault with Holland Casino’s database since it gained an online gambling licence back in September 2021.