New KSA chair Michel Groothuizen to demand new powers to tackle unlicensed gambling

Groothuizen slammed the “pirates of the industry” at the opening of iGB Live Amsterdam.

The Netherlands.- Michel Groothuizen has delivered his first speech as the new chairman of the Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). Speaking at iGB Live Amsterdam, he slammed unlicensed operators as the “pirates of the industry, who moreover, don’t seem to shy away from anything” and said he would ask for the KSA to be given direct powers to shut down websites and block financial transactions.

He cited cases of unlicensed operators targeting Dutch minors, using the KSA logo on campaigns and “surreptitiously advertising via Google Maps and ads targeting the very vulnerable group of players registered in the national exclusion register (CRUKS).”

Despite the call for new powers, he said collaboration was the best tool against unlicensed gambling.

He said: “Tackling illegal gambling does not stop at the border. That is why it is important not to let our supervision stop at the border either. Through international cooperation and knowledge-sharing, we can better tighten the net around illegal gambling. We do this, for example, through our participation in the Gambling Regulators European Forum (GREF) and the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR). My predecessor played an active role there, and I definitely intend to do the same.”

Groothuizen highlighted MOUs signed with regulators in Belgium, France, Malta, Sweden and the UK to enhance cooperation through data and information sharing, joint enforcement actions and the sharing of best practices. 

Groothuizen takes the helm at the KSA as the new Dutch government advances with planned reforms to the Remote Gambling Act (KOA). The new minister for legal protections Teun Struycken is from the New Social Contract (NSC) party, which has advocated for a ban on online slots and a rise in gambling tax.

Groothuizen expressed concern about this. “Of course, I also see the threat of the increasing number of laws and regulations and the impact on channelisation,” he said. But he stressed he would continue the work of his predecessor, Rene Jansen, to ensure high duty of care standards, tougher enforcement and stringent regulations in the Dutch gambling sector.

New measures from October 1 include mandatory monthly deposit limits of €350 (€150 for under-25s). Meanwhile, the KSA wants real-time monitoring of customer care engagement. “We will keep pushing this in our discussions with the secretary of state,” he said.