Netherlands: Illegal gambling providers are consistently punished

The gambling market in the Netherlands is strictly regulated, but also very successful. The channeling rate appears to be excellent - and the authorities regularly make headlines for their strict approach to illegal activities in the country. The latter was recently the case again when the local gambling supervisory authority threatened two offshore operators with fines of 280,000 euros per week.

In the Netherlands, there is currently a lot of movement on the gambling market - and this is not due to a sudden boom, but rather to the tough line taken by the gambling authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). Anyone who thought they could operate unauthorized platforms in the shadow of legality has been proved wrong. For months, we have been reading about warnings, hefty fines and a clear message: the KSA is no joke when it comes to illegal gambling. And it obviously knows what it's doing, because its course is having an effect.

But back to the topic at hand: the KSA has just recently tackled two particularly stubborn cases as part of its consistent action against illegal operators. The focus is on the operators Techno Offshore Limited and Novatech Solutions NV. Both offer online gambling in the Netherlands without a license - and the KSA has now made it unmistakably clear to them that this will not continue. If the companies do not cease their activities immediately, they face weekly fines of 280,000 euros - up to a whopping maximum of 840,000 euros. Anyone who has not yet understood that the KSA is not to be trifled with will have to pay until it has arrived.

Illegal providers under pressure: the KSA makes the cash registers ring

The Dutch Gaming Authority is getting serious - and not just too serious. Anyone who is caught as an illegal provider and still continues to operate can expect "hefty fines", according to the head of the KSA. The recent cases involving Techno Offshore Limited and Novatech Solutions NV are not exceptions, but rather the new normal.

KSA Chairman Michel Groothuizen found clear words on the subject in a statement:

• "Illegal providers often act quite shrewdly," Groothuizen explains. The problem: even if the KSA closes a platform, the same site often simply reappears under a new name or with a different domain.
• The KSA's message: "We pull out all the stops for providers who deliberately violate our rules."

And that means: warnings are just the beginning. With so-called penalty notices, the authority ensures that illegal activities are stopped quickly - and there are also hefty fines on top. The amounts may not seem particularly impressive for international gambling groups at first - but when they are calculated on a weekly basis, the matter quickly takes on a dimension that moves even the really big players to take action.

However, compared to the fines imposed by the Spanish gambling supervisory authority on illegal gambling providers in the first half of 2024 alone, this million-euro amount is still manageable.

Using loopholes? Not with the KSA!

When it comes to circumventing laws, illegal providers are always coming up with new tricks. But the Dutch Gaming Authority KSA is not impressed. Techno Offshore Limited and Novatech Solutions NV have tried, but - like others - have had to realize that the gambling watchdogs are not so easy to shake off.

The cat-and-mouse game with the KSA

In the spring of 2024, KSA investigators had their first look at Techno Offshore - and what they found was pretty clear:

• Testers could easily create an account, deposit money and take part in slots, table games, etc.
• On offer: illegal games that would not be permitted in the Netherlands, even with a license.

A follow-up test then followed in June. Surprise: it was suddenly no longer possible to log in with the access data created at the time. But - and this is where it gets interesting - the officials were simply able to regain access with new accounts and carry on gambling happily. The attempt to get out of the affair by blocking known KSA access was therefore half-hearted at best. The authority's clear message: "We will not be tricked!"

Incidentally, the employees of the German gambling authority really do play with unauthorized providers for their checks. This was only recently explained when the GGL revealed insider information on the fight against illegal online casinos.

Novatech: New sites, new problems

Novatech Solutions NV, which made a sports betting and casino portal accessible in the Netherlands, presents a similar picture. During an investigation in June, the KSA also found many things here that should not have been there:

• Account creation, depositors and gambling were possible without any problems.
• Illegal games were also on the list of offers.

When the KSA visited again in September, the website was suddenly offline. Case closed? Not at all! Instead, Novatech had simply launched a new platform. There, everything ran as usual, just under a different name - of course also without a license and with the same unauthorized offer.

Source of the image: https://pixabay.com/photos/sign-nature-habitat-keep-out-4645676/