KSA hits two gambling companies with €1.8m fine

The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has issued two fines totaling €1.8m to entities operating in the country. The fines, €900,000 each, were handed to Slovakia-based Domiseda and Partners s.r.o and Equinox Dynamic N.V., a Curaçao-based entity.

The regulator had to step in and take enforcement action due to the fact that the two companies provided players from the Netherlands the opportunity to access various gambling products without the necessary permits.

Games of chance in the Netherlands may only be offered by licensed and regulated entities which have received a license from the KSA in the first place. The existing legislation, that is the Betting and Gaming Act, allows the regulator to take enforcement action against operators it deems have been operating in the country without the necessary permission.

Equinox Dynamic and Domiseda were named as "providers" for orientxpresscasino.com and were deemed to be guilty by the KSA of the provision of unlicensed gambling products. The KSA has said in an official statement that any website that provides games of chance has to comply with a range of strict gambling rules that are aimed at protecting players from gambling addiction and providing them with fair play conditions.

The KSA further explained that licensed gambling operators and providers were also subject to tax in the Netherlands, unlike operators that offer games of chance without the necessary permits. KSA Chairman René Jansen commented on the latest enforcement action and insisted that in order for the Netherlands to create a safe gambling environment, determined enforcement action must be taken against all illegal providers and other entities providing products without a license.

The KSA has been active ever since legislation, taking the necessary steps to limit illegal gambling when and if applicable. In one instance dating back to November, the KSA stated that it would take a harder look at companies that target vulnerable consumers.

Meanwhile, the Dutch Gaming Authority has already issued a number of fines to offending entities in the country. The KSA fined Toto Online €400,000 back in November, and it issued another €400,000 fine to JOI Gaming Ltd in January. The regulator has similarly settled cases against other unlicensed operators in the country.

In October, the KSA managed to pressure two companies it said were operating without a license to leave voluntarily. The KSA continues to act against entities that are falling short of its regulatory standards.

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