The gambling regulatory authority in the Netherlands, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), announced it imposed a hefty fine against Hillside New Media Malta, a Bet365 company, operating currently in the country. Details regarding the €400,000 ($373,600) regulatory penalty against the operator emerged Friday. Upon announcing the sanction, the KSA claimed that the operator breached the rules related to advertising to young adults.
Per the current Dutch regulatory framework, advertising targeting young adults, aged 18 to 24 is prohibited. Keeping in mind that this target audience is yet to mature, the law restricts gambling operators from engaging in such advertising. A prime reason for this restriction is that young adults can be vulnerable to easily developing a gambling addiction.
“The brains of young people are still developing. As a result, they are extra vulnerable to developing gambling addiction. Gaming providers must fully respect the rules intended to protect vulnerable groups,“
reads a statement released by the KSA
The new fine comes after the KSA probed into Hillside’s operations. According to the regulator, young adults, aged 18 to 24, registered with the company between October 26, 2021, and February 1, 2022, were contacted with ads offering bonuses. Considering the existing regulations, the KSA said that such interactions are prohibited and therefore enforced the €400,000 ($373,600) fine. At the same time, the regulator noted that this is the third fine imposed against an operator due to advertising to young people.
“The KSA found that Hillside had directed advertisements and bonuses to young adults (18-24-year-olds) registered with Hillside in the period from October 26, 2021 to February 1, 2022. That is prohibited. This is the third fine for a permit holder for advertising aimed at young people,“
explained the KSA
A Busy Period for the KSA
The latest fine against Hillside comes after last week, the KSA introduced another financial penalty against Gammix. According to the regulator, the company offered its services to Dutch customers without the necessary license. That breach dated back to last year but the operator was given a chance to remedy the situation. Since no remedial action was taken by Gammix, the KSA ordered the company to pay a €4,410,000 ($4.7 million) fine.
Before that, earlier in March, the KSA announced fines against five operators surpassing $27 million. The regulator said that the fine comes after it uncovered that the operators offered their services without a license for the Dutch market.
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