SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Illegal online gambling ads are again being targeted in the Netherlands, with a new clamp down by the Dutch regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).
This time around, the authority approached licensed iGaming provider Betca over an advertisement that appeared within a mobile game – potentially being viewed by minors.
Therefore, the operator was asked by the KSA to take down the ad, which it immediately obliged with, the regulator said in a statement.
Betca reportedly responded that the ad showing in the game was due to a human error, with the firm further committing to preventing similar accidents from happening in the future. No financial sanction ensued, but the KSA confirmed that it will keep monitoring the space.
Gambling promotion across non-gambling-related online spaces is strictly forbidden under Dutch regulation, as it could inadvertently reach a target demographic that is susceptible to gambling harm, such as self-excluded individuals or minors as mentioned above.
Mobile apps as black market kennel
Betca is a license holder and the case seems isolated. However, black market operators seem to be gradually using the digital space, and mobile apps in particular, to enter the Dutch market from the back door and bypass regulations.
Just recently, the KSA has announced that it has been actively fighting off illegal gambling apps that are appearing on popular mobile app stores like Google’s Play Store and the Apple’s App Store.
Since the start of the year, the regulator has collaborated with the two tech giants to take down 20 unlicensed gambling apps, with more cases seemingly on the horizon.
In addition to being easily accessible by minors as the app stores do not require ID verification if the app itself is free to download, illegal providers have been found to also use the logo of legitimate gambling providers to trick active players into a false sense of security.
Some of the illegal apps have also found their way to social media, where users have reported seeing advertisements when scrolling through their feeds. The KSA has urged consumers to keep reporting what they think could be suspicious.
The Netherlands is currently going through the process of reforming its Remote Gambling Act (KOA) led by Legal Secretary Teun Struycken, with illegal gambling advertisements being one of the focal points of the framework’s modernisation process.
