KSA slams JOI Gaming Ltd with €400,000 fine

The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has issued a new enforcement action against JOI Gaming Ltd, fining the operator €400,000. This, the regulator said, was necessary as the company had committed offenses related to the country’s strict gambling advertisement code of conduct.

In its stipulation of the offense, the KSA said that JOI Gaming has violated the country’s standards for advertising gambling products to young adults. As part of a detailed investigation, the KSA found offenses dating back to December 8, 2021, and March 7, 2022, establishing that the company had sent advertising messages for various games of chance to consumers.

The advertisements promoted www.jacks.nl, JOI Gaming Ltd’s flagship brand in the country. The KSA reminded that such advertisement was prohibited since this particular cohort of consumers is particularly vulnerable and at a much greater risk of developing problem gambling or gambling-related issues.

Therefore, protecting young people was a top priority for the regulator. René Jansen, chairman of the regulator, said that "no recruitment activities" may be directed at young adults, referring to bonus inducements of any sort. The regulator is going to hold any offender accountable in cases where the KSA establishes related offenses.

This is the second fine issued by the regulator in so many days. Prior to targeting JOI Gaming Ltd, the KSA investigated Shark77 Ltd, another prominent operator, which is not licensed to operate in the country, but nevertheless has made its products available to local players, the regulator contended.

The company was fined €900,000 because it had not implemented any technical safeguards to prevent Dutch players from accessing the website. Shark77 Ltd, an entity licensed under the Malta Gaming Authority, argued that it had never intentionally targeted Dutch players.

However, the regulator refused this argument and said that the website was fully accessible to players during the course of the investigation. Jansen noted that because of this, Shark77 Ltd undermined the country’s efforts to boost channelization in the legal gambling sector. Any entity that may have its gambling website available to local players is one licensed by the KSA, the chairman said.

Jansen similarly discussed the regulator’s ongoing efforts to address shortcomings in the retail sector. He blasted the proliferation of unlicensed land-based facilities that offer gambling products and said that the regulator is now actively seeking to address any shortcomings and breaches in the sector.

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