René Jansen, chairman of the Dutch regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), said the increase in fines helped discourage illicit operators from targeting the market.
Janssen saw the fight against illegal businesses as an “invisible activity” carried out by regulators, but the inspector said he “certainly did not sit in their hands.” ..
He explained that strong enforcement powers played their part in the first challenge posed by the operators.
“In September, we announced a new enforcement and fine policy. The fines have been raised significantly and from October 1st (especially) the number of players of illegal providers will consider which illegal provider should be addressed first. Will be included when you do.
“As a result, many illegal providers have voluntarily guaranteed that they will not have access to offers from the Netherlands. Apparently the ground at her feet was too hot.”
Since the Dutch online market opened on October 1, 2021, KSA has surveyed more than 200 websites in varying degrees of response to pressure from organizations since the market opened.
“Under the threat of cease and desist orders, many illegal providers are in the black. This is invisible to the outside world, but it is fast and effective.”
However, for sites that don’t retreat, you need a more creative approach. Authorities have adopted what Janssen has traditionally described as a “dual strategy” of cracking down on both affiliate marketers who help promote online gambling and payment providers who promote illegal play.
“The new enforcement policy will first warn when the promotion of illegal gambling providers is established,” he said. “If that doesn’t solve the problem, we’ll receive binding instructions to discontinue this service. The latter is KSA’s new force since the Remote Gambling Act came into force.”
Jansen also used the recent cease and desist order as an example to admit dissatisfaction with the lengthy legal process involved in enforcement.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work for us to be able to shoot a permanent illegal provider from the air overnight. For example, we recently announced a cease and desist order imposed on Gammix Limited. This order is about. It can reach 4.5 million euros.
“Long legal proceedings were completed before such a decision was published.”
Since the launch of the Dutch regulated market in October last year, there has been much public debate in the country on how to balance consumer care with other competing interests.
There is a tendency towards stricter rules, such as the recent announcement of a ban on all broadcast ads starting January 1st next year. Janssen himself has in the past questioned whether the industry could even be “self-regulating.”
But for now, the Dutch government has removed the loss limit from the table as a future area of concern for regulators.
