Holland’s gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has imposed a penalty payment order upon Luxurybingods for the organisation and advertisement of unlicensed bingo operations without a permit.
The maximum penalty fee applicable here is €190,000 ($211,532), with the penalty payment fee per bingo operation being €19,000. Similarly, for advertising, the maximum penalty fee applies here of €95,000, with a fee of €9,500 applicable per advertisement.
Suspicious activity from Luxurybingods was initially raised in March of this year, subsequently prompting an in-person visit from KSA supervisors to the Harbour Club in Eindhoven on the 27 of March. Officials confirmed a bingo, organised by Luxurybingods, was taking place – despite the company’s lack of permit or permit request. Thereafter, research revealed that the happening had been widely advertised on TikTok.
The bingo was organised for the profit of the organisation (Luxurybingods) alone, with prizes valued at subsequently higher than the legal maximum for the Netherlands – and tickets costing €65 each.
KSA has also revealed that the expectation of recurring offenses from Luxurybingods is high, as the bingo organisation has a history of subjecting itself to regulatory scrutiny. Further, there is evidence of additional unregulated bingos being held at alternative locations. However, KSA is hoping that the penalty payment order will de-incentivise Luxurybingods from continuing in these illicit activities.
In previous months, KSA has issued additional warnings pertaining to advertising, including to one of its own licensees in July. More recently, the organisation issued a warning to two Dutch influencers after they uploaded a YouTube video promoting an illegal casino. The video has since been removed.
