KSA warns three gambling operators over breaches of advertising ban

The Netherlands introduced a ban on untargeted gambling ads in July.

The Netherlands.- The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), says it has warned three licensed gambling operators for breaching the Netherlands’ new ban on untargeted advertising. 

The country introduced a ban on July 1, covering all television, radio and out-of-home ads. Gambling adverts are still allowed online and in on-demand television if it can be proved that they are prevented from reaching people aged under 24. 

The KSA has not identified the three operators that it says breached the ban. It says they immediately withdrew the offending adverts after it contacted them.

One of the cases involved a merchandise giveaway that offered customers a chance to win a T-shirt that featured the gambling brand’s name and logo. The regulator said that giving away merchandise in this way is classed as untargeted advertising since it can be visible in public spaces, and is therefore banned under the new rules.

The other two cases involve breaches of a rule stating that sponsorship of TV and radio programmes can only feature “neutral expressions“. This is the one exception under which this form of advertising is still allowed. However, the KSA said that the use of an audible slogan in one piece and the promotion of an app in the other did not constitute neutral expressions. 

Last month, the KSA fined two operators for offering unlicensed gambling in the Netherlands. It issued a €6.7m fine against GoldWin and a €900,000 sanction against MKC Limited. In the case of GoldWin, the KSA said that Dutch players were able to access and gamble on the Malta-based operator’s Westcasino.com. It said it began investigating the site on December 22, 2022. It created an account and placed bets on the site, finding that there were no measures in place to block Dutch players.