Currently, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gaming authority, is in charge of the regulation of gambling activities in the country. Monitoring constantly the legal offering for Dutch clients, the gambling regulator also ensures that customers in the country are not targeted by operators without a license. On Monday this week, the KSA confirmed it imposed a $1 million fine against an operator it says offered services to Dutch customers illegally.
The fine imposed by the gambling watchdog is against MKC Limited-owned betworld247.com. The hefty €900,000 ($954,300) monetary penalty comes after the regulator uncovered that the operator offered online games of chance without the required license. Gambling operators that accept customers from the Netherlands must hold a permit in order to offer games of chance. Operators that do not hold such a license operate in breach of the Dutch Gambling Act.
In the case against betworld247.com, the KSA said that its investigation uncovered that Dutch customers were able to register with and participate in online games of chance. According to the gambling regulator, the operator hasn’t taken any technical measures to prevent customers from the Netherlands to register. Such proactive measures can include blocks for Dutch IP addresses or rejection for customers who tried to register with Dutch address details. Moreover, the KSA’s probe into the operator uncovered that the “age of participating players was also not visibly verified.”
“The Gaming Authority (KSA) has imposed a fine of €900,000 on MKC Limited for offering illegal games of chance. Dutch players could participate in online gambling on the website betworld247.com, owned by MKC Limited. MKC Limited does not have a permit for this and is therefore in violation of the Gambling Act,“
explains a statement released by the KSA
Users Submitted Their Age without Proper Identification
Recently, KSA’s chair, René Jansen, confirmed his plans to resign in 2024. Announced earlier this month, the decision comes at a time when his term is set to expire. Jansen explained that he doesn’t plan to reapply for the role, meaning that the Dutch gaming authority is likely already looking through applications for a new chairman. Additionally, the current chairman is reaching retirement age at the end of the year, another reason that likely motivated him not to reapply for the role.
“At MKC Limited, players could enter an age themselves without clear identification. This means that their website is also accessible to very vulnerable, underage players.“
René Jansen, chairman of the KSA
Focusing on the latest penalty against MKC Limited, Jansen said that the website enabled users to submit their age themselves without the necessary identification. According to him, this enabled the website to offer services to vulnerable groups such as underage individuals. Jansen deemed this as a “culpable offense” and once again warned that the illegal gambling market lacks the robust player protection that is otherwise mandatory for the regulated sector.