Dutch KSA implements 'terrifying' fines to increase compliance

Dutch regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has hiked its minimum illegal online gambling sanctions to a ‘terrifying’ €200,000 from €150,000 following the decision from the country’s Senate to approve its Remote Gaming Act.
As previously stipulated, it will continue to be the operators’ responsibility to ensure that affiliates adhere to the new regulation.
René Jansen, chairman of the KSA Board of Directors, commented on how previous fines had not acted as enough of a deterrent: “The fines we used were not terrifying enough. The Senate recently adopted the bill on remote games of chance, which makes it possible to apply for a license in time for offering gambling via the internet. Illegal games of chance continue to fight the Ksa firmly. Now and later.
“The intention of the law is to create an attractive legal online gaming offering, which makes it possible for consumers to play safely on a fair market. There is no room for illegal providers. That is why we intend to thoroughly review our penalties policy for the future. The updating of the fines policy is now only a first step.”
The fines, which come into play today, may be subject to increases depending on the number of illegal sites, games, bonus offers and prizes that are offered by operators both from within and outside of the Netherlands.
The KSA’s tough stance has received the backing from a handful of Kamer MPs, who stated that during the final review process of the Gaming Act, ‘bad actors should expect a cooling period.’
The news comes after the regulator’s crackdown on gambling operators across the Netherlands as, during the course of 2018, it issued fines totalling €1.7m to European operators bet-at-home, Betsson, MRG Group, Mr Green and Betclic.
It stated at the time that the operators had continually breached Dutch digital laws, despite numerous warnings to stop all betting activities in The Netherlands.