The Netherlands’ gaming authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), continues its rigorous scrutiny of the Dutch gaming market, recently imposing a heavy financial penalty on gambling operations company, LCS Limited. The violation in question sees LCS receiving a hefty € 2,074,000 (approximately $2,180,000) fine for offering unauthorised gambling services to local residents via its online platform, sonsofslots.com.
The KSA argues that this breach of regulation represents a clear violation of the Netherlands’ Gambling Act. It’s worth noting that this not the first time LCS has crossed swords with the regulatory body. Back in August 2022, the gaming authority slammed LCS with a € 165,000 penalty, enjoining the company to halt its unauthorized operations in the Dutch territory promptly.
The latest fine aligns with the KSA’s ongoing penalty policy, which takes into account various factors, comprising the local turnover of gambling operators.
René Jansen, chairman of the Kansspelautoriteit, had words of warning to unlicensed operators who believe they could evade sanctions by “going dark”. He emphasized that past infringements are not exempt from punishment. The regulator’s responsibility, according to Jansen, extends to routinely ensure these unlicensed operators have effectively put an end to their unregulated activities and that such unlawful services don’t find their way back into the market.
The KSA, through its official announcement, underscored that only firms with its license are authorized to offer gambling services in the Netherlands. Moreover, companies have to strictly follow the safer gambling protocols outlined by the KSA to safeguard players from gambling harm.
Furthermore, the KSA has released its latest industry report that provides a snapshot of the current gambling landscape in the Netherlands. Despite a steady number of active players (approximately 676,000, with two-thirds participating at least once a month), the regulator remarked upon an overall slowdown in market growth.
Encouragingly, however, the KSA’s commitment to robust regulation appears to be generating positive results. Recent figures show an impressive 93% relocation of players towards licensed operators, fulfilling the authority’s aim of ensuring 8 out of 10 players engage in legal gambling activities.
