SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Ahead of the Dutch F1 Grand Prix this Sunday (25 August), Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands Gambling Authority has ordered organiser Formula One to remove all advertising promoting Stake.com.
KSA commands F1 to remove all advertising related to Stake.com, due to the online casino and sports betting brand having no licence to operate in the Netherlands. As such the presence of Stake.com, will infringe on the advertising laws of the Netherlands Remote Gambling Act (KOA).
The decision is significant since Stake recently became the title sponsor of the Sauber Motorsports team, now known as the ‘Stake F1 Team.’ As a result, Stake.com’s branding must be removed from the team’s cars and any other materials for the race in Zandvoort this weekend.
In the Netherlands, gambling legislation prohibits any betting or gaming company from offering games of chance without a license or promoting such activities.
The KSA emphasised that companies like Stake.com must implement measures, such as geo-blocking, to prevent Dutch players from accessing their platforms. However, the authority noted that Dutch players continue to access Stake.com’s platform.
Given Formula One’s popularity and the potential for increased promotional visibility, the KSA expressed concern that this weekend’s Grand Prix might draw the attention of vulnerable groups, particularly minors and young adults, to Stake.com’s branding.
Stake.com is currently in the first year of a two-year agreement with Formula One and the Sauber team for title sponsorship rights.
With the KSA’s order in place, it is unclear what name the team will use for the Dutch Grand Prix. Sauber’s other title sponsor, ‘Kick,’ might take on more prominence.
