The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has called for the Dutch Grand Prix and the Sauber racing team to avoid promoting Stake (illegal, unlicensed in the Netherlands) during the Formula 1 in Zandvoort, urging the team to ‘not to drive under the name Stake.’
Stake.com is a sportsbook primarily known for its crypto betting options. The operator became the F1 title partner of the Sauber racing team at the beginning of the year, unveiling the new team outfits and vehicles the following month (where we also had a chance to speak with Stake Co-Founder Ed Craven). The team now drives as the Stake F1 Team at certain races.
However, in the Netherlands, Stake does not hold a gambling licence. This is also not the first time a regulator has taken issue with the team's Stake branding; even on the week of the team launch in February, Sauber was made to remove the Stake logo from its site after a proceeding was placed against it by the Swiss Federal Casino Commission.
As stated by the KSA, ‘It is prohibited to offer games of chance without a licence, to advertise these illegal games of chance or to promote participation in them.’ The authority suggested several ways to block access to players in the Netherlands from unregulated operators, such as geoblockers, of which Stake has one in place.
However, the KSA has found that players are still gaining access to the platform. Combined with the level of publicity that would be directed towards Stake through the Stake F1 Team’s branding, the KSA has urged both the Sauber racing team and Dutch Grand Prix to keep the team from racing under the Stake F1 Team name and to avoid advertising the brand.
In July, the KSA urged for enhanced duty of care in arcades to prevent addiction, while later that month improving its Cruks API with the aim of improving data control.
Most recently, the KSA issued a warning against one of its online licensees for violating non-targeted advertising regulations, which prohibits untargeted advertising of online gambling, including programme and event sponsorship as of an update to the regulation in July 2024.
