KSA Imposed €26 Million in Total Fines on Multiple Operators in 2022

Summary

• KSA fined 5 operators who targeted Dutch customers a combined €26 million in fines
• Cracking down on illegal online gambling operators is a priority for the KSA
• The sanctioned firms tried to prevent the publication of the decisions but did not succeed

The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands’ gambling authority, imposed a total of €26 million in fines on multiple operators in 2022.

The KSA said the enforcement action taken against the violators reflects the agency’s commitment to keeping a safe gambling environment for Dutch customers.

Five Operators Hit with Massive Fines

The fines were handed down to five online casino operators offering their services to Dutch players without a license. The bulk of the penalties went to N1 Interactive Limited (€12.6 million) and Videoslots Limited (€9.87 million). The other three operators fined last year include Betpoint Group Limited (€1.78 million), Probe Investments Limited (€1.28 million) and Fairload Limited (€900,000).

Offering online games of chance to Dutch customers without authorization is strictly prohibited in the Netherlands, and implementing this ban remains a top priority for the KSA. The amount of fines imposed on each operator was determined based on the existing fines policy in the country which was last updated in September 2021.

The KSA has described as “eye-catching” the fines handed down to N1 Interactive Limited and Videoslots Limited. According to the regulator, N1 Interactive Limited received a new financial penalty for a repeated violation for which it had already been fined.

Meanwhile, Videoslots Limited incorrectly displayed the word mark of the KSA on its website which is a glaring violation, considering that the word mark can only be used by licensed operators. Other breaches that resulted in the large fine imposed on Videoslots relate to inadequate age verification, allowing the use of anonymous casino payment methods, and posing as a licensed online gambling provider.

Videoslots to Challenge €9.87 Million Fine

After being notified of their penalties back in December 2022, the sanctioned operators attempted to block KSA from publishing the decisions, but a judge recently turned down their requests.

Videoslots said it would challenge the €9.87 million penalty imposed on its business, saying the KSA’s issuance of the fine was “absurd and unlawful”. It accused the regulator of calculating the fine based on “guesstimates”.

KSA Chairman René Jansen emphasized once again that “player safety is paramount” and that they won’t hesitate to punish illegal firms ignoring the country’s gambling laws. Jansen said the five operators deserved the massive fines imposed on them given the huge profits they make running their illegal operations.