Key points:
- KSA issues penalty order against Winbet NV for operating four illegal gambling websites
- Penalties are set at €280,000 per week, up to a maximum of €840,000
- Websites failed to implement the required technical measures to block Dutch players
The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has issued a penalty payment order against Winbet NV for offering unlicensed games of chance in the Netherlands.
Operating games of chance without a valid license is prohibited under Dutch law, and Winbet has therefore been ordered to cease its activities immediately or face increasing financial penalties.
An investigation by KSA revealed that Winbet offered illegal gambling through four websites: galaxyspins.com, winnercasino1.bet, superb1.bet and doctorspins.com.
As a result, the authority has imposed a penalty of €280,000 ($302,000) per week, with a maximum of €840,000, if the violations continue.
The KSA's investigation showed that users on these websites could create accounts, deposit funds and engage in gambling activities, with no restrictions in place to prevent participation from Dutch players.
Good to know: The KSA has given out a number of similar penalties in recent months in an attempt to safeguard Dutch consumers
This development comes after a string of similar penalties dished out by the KSA in recent months.
Just last week, for example, the KSA imposed a near-identical penalty on BlockDance BV for offering unlicensed gambling through the websites bc.game and bcgame.lu.
Despite an initial attempt by BlockDance to block access to Dutch players, the KSA's monitoring showed that access to the gambling sites had been restored, ultimately leading to the aforementioned penalty.
