Netherlands Gaming Authority Summarizes Entire Year of Legalized Online Gambling
Last week, the Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) slapped a hefty €4.4 million ($4.6 million) fine on Gammix Limited, following an investigation that revealed the operator was running its services illegally. This was just one of the several such issues the regulator has been dealing with since the Remote Gambling Act (KOA) went into effect in the Netherlands on April 1, 2021.
The Dutch online gambling market opened its doors on a grand scale, and since then, the KSA has been a busy bee, inspecting and investigating unlicensed online casino operators. In the year 2022 alone, the KSA conducted 277 preliminary investigations into suspicious online sites, leading to 26 investigations into illegal online providers.
René Jansen, the chairman of the KSA, expressed mixed emotions about 2022, which marked the first full calendar year of legal online gaming in the Netherlands. Despite plenty of positive developments, Jansen believes there's still a lot of room for improvement. In fact, the initial goal of the Koa Act was to have at least 8 out of 10 Dutch players choosing legal providers within the first three years of its enforcement. Although estimates suggest that around 85% of online players are currently using legal services, it's essential to remember that a significant portion of that percentage was also betting illegally before the legalization of iGaming.
In 2022, over 36,000 Dutch citizens sought protection from the central exclusion register Cruks, shielding them from high-risk online gambling and land-based venues such as Holland Casino.
Besides imposing fines, the KSA issued 18 intention orders subject to periodic penalty payments throughout 2022. These resulted in seven fines totaling €29.7 million ($31.4 million). Additionally, the KSA received 83 notifications regarding illegal gambling ads on social media, a significant drop of 71% compared to the previous year.
In total, the KSA processed 59 investigations into illegal gambling ads and discovered violations in 16 cases. Despite receiving 27 applications for online licenses, only 13 were granted. The authority also issued 45 permits for slot machine operations, while completing 89 investigations into slot machines, with no additional consequences for the operators.
The KSA revoked five license holders for disappointing lottery sales and issued fewer lottery licenses in 2022 compared to 2021. However, the regulator continues to monitor and act against the top 100 gambling sites frequented by Dutch players, taking necessary steps to combat illegal gambling.
Despite the clarity regarding the legal status of cryptocurrencies for transactions in the Netherlands, there are currently no specific laws regulating their use in gambling. The KSA remains proactive in enforcing regulations and imposing fines when necessary to ensure the safety and fairness of the Dutch gambling market.
- The KSA conducted 277 preliminary investigations into suspicious online gambling sites in the year 2022, leading to 26 investigations into illegal online providers.
- In 2022, over 36,000 Dutch citizens sought protection from the central exclusion register Cruks, shielding them from high-risk online gambling and land-based venues such as Holland Casino.
- The KSA received 83 notifications regarding illegal gambling ads on social media in 2022, a significant drop of 71% compared to the previous year.
- Despite the clarity regarding the legal status of cryptocurrencies for transactions in the Netherlands, there are currently no specific laws regulating their use in online gambling.
