Dutch gambling regulator updates rules for fines

The Kansspelautoriteit, or the Dutch gambling regulator as the watchdog is more popularly known outside the country, has issued new rules that it will follow, and in effect from January 1, 2025, regarding how fines are applied to companies.

Dutch gambling regulator outlines new fining regime for licensed companies

The document is hoping to tie any loose ends and similarly offer more clarity into the regulator’s decision-making process that could be of help to stakeholders seeking to stay on the straight and narrow when it comes to gambling regulation.

With the Netherlands having strict rules about advertising, bonus use, and unlicensed gambling, the document is seeking to ensure that regulated entities in the market understand how the regulatory levers work.

The regulator already worked previously on a separate document explaining how fines are imposed on illegal gambling operators and products. The new document outlines five categories which lead to different penalties, depending on the severity of the issue.

The basic penalty applicable in the first category is €500, but this could easily reach €2,000,000 in the severest cases that mandate the strictest penalties. The regulator may also choose to impose a fine of 3% on the guilty party’s gross turnover to ensure that the affected party recognizes the impact of its actions.

Watchdog urges compliance to avoid penalties

Commenting on these clarifications, the regulator’s newly-appointed Chairman of the Board, Michel Groothuizen, commented on the new document in a translated statement on the watchdog’s official website:

"We have now gained enough experience to arrive at a well-considered fine policy for both license holders and other parties. This creates clarity for the parties under our supervision and hopefully motivates them even more to avoid fines."

Groothuizen explained that the regulator now had sufficient experience to learn from the previous year and since the market has become regulated to issue better guidance to companies that participate in it.

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