- REGULATION & COMPLIANCE
Dutch regulator de Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has ordered operator Holland Casino to remove adverts promoting the locations of its land-based casinos from its online gambling website.
In October last year, the KSA discovered that Holland Casino’s licensed and regulated igaming site contained links that when clicked, led visitors to information about the operator’s physical casinos across the country.
KSA deemed this to be a breach of Article 4.2, paragraph 5, of the Dutch Remote Games of Chance Decree, in that an online licence holder may not place adverts on their website for services and goods other than those for which the licence was granted.
Holland Casino holds the monopoly licence in the Netherlands for operating land-based casinos. This licence is separate from the permit secured by the brand last year to also offer online gambling in the country.
KSA reached the decision some time ago but was unable to publish details of the ruling due to pending procedures, including appeals filed by Holland Casino.
However, Holland Casino accepted the ruling and has taken action to remove the links so that its igaming site is operating fully in line with regulations in the Netherlands.
Other Netherlands online gambling breaches
The case follows a number of other recent rulings by KSA in reference to licence breaches by operators in the country.
Last month, KSA issued Toto Online with a fine of €400,000 for targeting advertising at young adults in the country. KSA said Toto Online – owned by Nederlandse Loterij – sent advertising messages to its entire customer base between 1 October 2021, the date the country opened its legal online gambling market, and 1 February this year.
Also last month, KSA took action against a number of other licensed operators after ruling they breached rules and regulations . The KSA said that the offences took place in the run-up to the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
Two operators were warned for offering bets on the number of yellow cards in football matches. Dutch law prohibits betting on certain events in games as they are regarded as being sensitive to match-fixing.
Another operator was issued with a warning for violating a ban on using role models to promote gambling. A number of well-known Dutch people featured in an ad that promoted an event, with the operator’s logo featured throughout the advert.
KSA did not disclose the identities of these brands.