Unibet financially reprimanded by KSA over failed player checks

The Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has issued a €400k fine to Optdeck Service Ltd, otherwise known as Unibet. 

According to the regulator, the betting brand had allowed the signing up of players who were listed on the Netherlands’ national self-exclusion registry CRUKS. 

The scheme works in the same way as other similar projects throughout Europe, where once a player has been registered in the system, licensed gambling providers have a regulatory obligation to refuse them any type of gambling service, whether it’s physical or online.

An alert was raised with the KSA back in mid-2023 that Unibet had failed to carry out the necessary checks during the 2022 World Cup, which was confirmed after the regulator’s subsequent investigation. As per official information, Optdeck had not appealed the fine. 

CRUKS is a core component of the Dutch gambling market. To ensure that this remains the case, the KSA has previously launched a number of marketing campaigns targeting increased awareness about the scheme among the public.

The most recent one is from earlier this month, where the regulator utilised a range of marketing tools across social media platforms that primarily appeal to a younger audience.