SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
LCS Limited has hit back at the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch Gambling Authority, over a fine of €2m issued to the online casino last week for alleged unlicensed gaming.
In an official statement sent to SBC, the company asserted that the penalty is ‘excessive but also unjust’ due to relating to a single accidental violation which occurred in early 2022.
When issuing the fine last week, the KSA stated that LCS had been operating its www.sonsofslots.com site in the Netherlands without a licence, and had previously charged the firm €165,000 in August 2022.
However, LCS is adamant that it takes ‘our obligations under Dutch law very seriously’, adding that the KSA itself has even confirmed that the operator no longer targets Netherlands-based customers.
Regarding the initial 2022 violation, LCS explained: “We took immediate, decisive action to rectify the situation, effectively preventing Dutch customers from registering on our platforms. Our proactive measures successfully prevented Dutch customers from registering on our websites.”
The firm maintains that it has not been active in the Netherlands since 14 September 2022, meaning it ceased operations shortly after the first €165,000 was issued for a violation which – as stated above – LCS states was accidental.
Lastly, LCS has also rejected the KSA’s calculation methodology for determining fines. The regulator bases its fines on operator turnover from the Netherlands, and LCS has asserted that the figures on which its penalty was grounded have been ‘proven to be wrong’.
The firm has lodged an appeal against the KSA fine, and plans to ‘aggressively’ pursue this course of action to get the ‘excessively punitive’ fine reversed.
“It is of utmost importance to dispel any confusion created by recent media reports,” LCS’ statement concluded. “We want to make it explicitly clear that LCS Limited has not re-entered the Dutch market in any capacity.
“We categorically dispute this unwarranted fine and remain unyielding in our commitment to upholding compliance and fairness in our operations.”
