Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the gambling regulator in the Netherlands, warned one of its incumbents for violation of the whistle-to-whistle ban on betting advertising.
The Warning Served Its Purpose
The warning issued to Holland Casino by the KSA was for promoting betting ads online via the Eredivisie.nl website while soccer matches were still in play. The KSA acted on information provided to the regulator and investigated the matter itself.
The information provided to the KSA claimed that Eredivisie.nl promoted betting ads during various soccer matches with links integrated into the odds that direct the viewer to Holland Casino’s website where in-play bets can be placed on those matches. KSA’s investigation which took place over the weekend found out the information was right.
According to the new online gambling regime in the country, gambling operators are prohibited from advertising their products on sports competitions before, during, or immediately after the matches, including at half-time or during any other breaks, with the idea to protect casual viewers or those checking the results from placing “impulsive” bets. Unlike in the UK, the Dutch ban on gambling advertising extends to the online gambling space.
Based on the findings, the KSA issued a reprimand to Holland Casino for its violations of the gambling advertising ban and ordered the operator to cease this practice. Further checks which took place over the latest round of Eredivisie matches this week found out that Holland Casino had heeded the warning and stopped the promotional ads, the KSA added.
Holland Casino, a state-run gambling company, was practically the only legalized gambling operator prior to the launch of the new online gambling marketspace on October 1, 2021, as well as among the first to receive a license to operate under the new regime, the KOA Act.
Protecting Incumbents and Players
Since the launch of the new online gambling regime, the KSA has been busy dealing with a wide range of issues such as gambling addiction, illegal operators, self-exclusion registration of players, and others.
Immediately after the new regulation launch, the KSA opened public consultations on how to utilize operator player data to tackle problem gambling and gambling addiction, seeking insight from operators and other industry stakeholders.
Earlier this month, the regulator undertook fresh action towards tackling gambling addiction by hiring three new gambling addiction advisors for the national gambling self-exclusion registry Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen (CRUKS) and then followed on to warn operators that any incorrect player data entered in the register was affecting the system’s effectiveness, asking them to carry out more detailed checks on of some of their players.
Also in December, the KSA turned to all players in the country who were still playing online via an unlicensed operator, warning them that they are strongly advised to switch to one of the licensed companies or risk becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud.