SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Dutch gaming regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has announced that two gambling providers have been reprimanded for operating illegally in the Netherlands.
Initially, the two providers – L.C.S. Limited and Blue High House S.A. – were issued a warning about illegally offering their unlicensed games to Dutch consumers. The warnings clarified that if this continues, both businesses will be subjected to a financial penalty.
Failing to satisfy the above demand, the implementation of the periodic penalty payments and their collection is now a fact.
Looking closer at the individual firms, L.C.S. Limited was first placed under KSA monitoring after being found out that it is supplying Dutch consumers with its illegal offering in 2022.
In addition to ordering the provider to withdraw from the market with immediate effect, the KSA also imposed a fine of €2.1m (£1.75m) for the total duration in which the illegal offer has been available.
A new website emerged in a subsequent follow-up with the provider in October 2023 which also contained evidence of promoting the illegal offering on the Dutch market. Thus, even though the veto imposed on the offering by the KSA was met, a new €165,000 fine was issued which is the latest one being collected.
The case with Blue High House S.A. was also opened in October last year for similar violations. However, this time the offer was not pulled out of the market – instigating another periodic penalty payment of €129,000, with the possibility of a larger fine being imposed.
René Jansen, KSA Chairman, commented: “A burden under penalty payment is more than a warning to an illegal provider. Illegal providers who do not take the right measures to ban Dutch players are being tackled hard by the KSA and will feel that where it affects them the most – in the wallet.”
