Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling watchdog, revealed Thursday that two operators discontinued their offering for customers in the Netherlands.
Illegal Gambling Operators Discontinue Operations, Says KSA
The gambling regulator said that both LCS Limited and MKC Limited stopped offering their services to Dutch customers. Labeling them as illegal gambling providers, the KSA reminded that the action comes after it imposed a corrective sanction against the operators. Previously, the regulator ordered the two operators to pay a penalty.
“The illegal online gambling providers LCS Limited and MKC Limited discontinued their offer to Dutch consumers after the Gaming Authority imposed a corrective sanction on them,“
reads a statement released by the Kansspelautoriteit
However, the penalty was only applicable if LCS Limited and MKC Limited did not discontinue their offering to Dutch customers. Now, considering that the two gambling websites stopped offering services to customers in the Netherlands, the KSA said that they won’t need to pay the penalty. Still, Kansspelautoriteit vowed to monitor the situation and ensure the two operators won’t reinstate their services for Dutch customers.
“LCS and MKC were both ordered to pay a penalty of €165,000 and €84,000 respectively. Those amounts had to be paid if the offer was not discontinued. LCS and MKC did not let it get that far. The KSA will continue to monitor whether the situation remains the same,“
added the gambling watchdog
The KSA Issued Cease and Desist Orders against the Operators
The recent action comes after early in September, the KSA issued a cease and desist order against the two operators. According to the regulator, MKC Limited illegally offered games of chance online to Dutch customers via at least one website. The operator’s cease and desist order was announced on September 7, 2022, and the regulator warned that a fine of €28,000 ($27,200) per week to a maximum of €84,000 ($81,500) would apply unless the operator stops offering services to customers in the Netherlands.
Similarly, the KSA issued a cease and desist order against LCS Limited, saying that the operator offered services illegally via at least one website. The regulator warned that unless LCS Limited stops offering services to Dutch customers, a penalty of €55,000 ($53,400) per week, up to a maximum of €165,000 ($160,100) will be applicable.
The Netherlands implemented strict new conditions applicable to online games of chance. The new tough measures came into effect on October 1, 2021, and sought to create a safe and regulated market for online gamblers.