The Dutch Gaming Authority (Kansspelautoriteit/KSA) announced yet another regulatory action against an operator that violated its gambling rules. The violator in this case is a bingo company that offered bingo products despite lacking the relevant license.
The KSA Emphasized That Its Rules Had Been Violated
According to the KSA’s official announcement, the operator offered and advertised its bingo games despite not having the necessary license to offer such products. The KSA clarified that small games of chance, such as bingo, may only be organized either by licensees or by an association that has existed for at least three years and was not created to operate games of chance specifically.
The gambling laws in the Netherlands also state that the bingo prizes should not exceed EUR 400 each and EUR 1,550 in total. Also, companies that do not possess a license are strictly prohibited from advertising their products.
The Games Were Hosted for the Organizer’s Benefit
In this case, the operator in question not only organized illegal bingo games but also promoted them extensively online. The KSA understood that the company marketed its products via Facebook.
The unlicensed bingo company charged EUR 25 for tickets, with bingo booklets costing an average of EUR 62.50. To make matters worse, the prizes offered by the bingo operator exceeded the maximum permitted by the Dutch Gambling Authority.
The KSA noted that the bingo games in this case were held for the organizer’s benefit. It added that such operations can sometimes earn tens of thousands of euros from players, necessitating regulatory action.
The Bingo Organizes Faces Consequences
The KSA warned that if the operator faces a penalty order of EUR 13,125 per game to a maximum of EUR 131,250. In addition to that, the company also faces a penalty order of EUR 6,562.5 per illegal advertisement to a cap of EUR 65,625.
The KSA added that the bingo operator in question has previously been reprimanded for similar offenses. In 2022, the bingo company received a warning but continued to operate despite the fact.
As a result, the KSA said that the risk of a repeat offense is very high.
An iGaming Operator Received a Huge Fine
The action against the bingo company comes a day after the KSA announced it had fined Alimaniere Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, a Costa Rica-based gambling operator. The company in question offered unlicensed online casino gaming to players in the Netherlands, thus violating the local rules.
Because of that, the KSA fined Alimaniere Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada EUR 1.05 million ($1.09 million), highlighting numerous compliance-related issues.
The KSA’s recent action aligns with the regulator’s usual ethos, sending a clear message that illegal gambling companies are not welcome in the Netherlands.
