The Dutch gambling authority KSA has imposed its largest penalty to date on a company offering illegal gambling operations through the Internet in the Netherlands.
The operator of Qbet.com and 55Bet.com Novatech has been fined nearly 25 million euros for their unlawful conduct. According to the regulator, Dutch users could very easily access the websites and various other services such as payment transactions were also available without any form of limitations. Furthermore, no verification of age was carried out.
Besides, the websites provide the opportunity of using cryptocurrencies and anonymous payment methods which are deeply linked to money laundering. KSA states that these factors are the main reason for the penalty being set at a very high level. Dutch law allows fines to go up to 10 percent of the annual turnover of a business. Another operator Fortaprime has also been issued with a fine of nearly 1. 8 million for operating several unlicensed websites which were targeting Dutch gamblers. Dutch News has contacted KSA regarding whether it has any enforcement measures in place to make sure that the fines are actually paid.
Official regulator data reveal that almost 53 pct of total online gambling spending in the Netherlands goes to illegal sites whereas 94 pct of players seem to be probably sticking to licensed platforms. In fact, very few illegal operators are controlling most of the illegal gambling market.
Incremental legislative changes have been a mainstay in the Netherlands to address the issues of online gambling. Measures include, for instance, raising the minimum age for high-risk gambling to 21 and setting individual wagering limits for every site. In addition, advertising has been further restricted and a self-exclusion program is available from licensed sites for players who might be addicted and want to quit gambling, with over 100,000 participants already registered.
Legal online gambling got underway in the Netherlands in 2021 to provide local residents with safer and regulated alternatives to foreign gambling websites. Meanwhile, new regulations were also blamed for a rise in gambling addiction and debts. At present, 27 operators are authorized to run a total of 37 different online gambling brands in the country.
