• КSA surveys 26 affiliate websites
• Unauthorized ads are taken down
• The KSA and the Netherlands prepare for an official iGaming launch

The KSA has surveyed a number of affiliate businesses, establishing irregularities in their advertising policies.

KSA Continues to Look into Affiliate Businesses

Weeks after announcing that the Netherlands would allow gambling companies to operate within the country, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has said that it would go after 23 online gaming brands that have been promoting casinos, poker and betting websites in the country.

This follows a recent survey of the affiliate gambling industry in the country which targeted 44 websites, looking into the specifics of each one and whether they can be allowed to continue operating. The KSA has spotted 26 websites that advertised to Dutch citizens and the regulator issued an official request for the adds to be taken down.

Reportedly, 20 websites complied with the issued recommendations immediately with the rest only agreeing to after the KSA said it would penalize the websites. While the Netherlands has taken a milder stance on gambling, the country’s regulator is still acting as a supervisor of the industry, not allowing any unauthorized advertising or gambling activities to take place.

This is not the first time that the KSA has gone after affiliates either. Back in 2016 and 2017, the KSA had to approach multiple affiliate businesses again, requesting immediate take down of as many as 17 websites’ ads.

Commenting on why the KSA has acted this way, the regulator released the following statement cited by iGaming business:

“Protecting consumers is an important objective of the KSA. Participants in games of chance from providers without a licence are not guaranteed a fair game. Nor is it possible to monitor the participation of vulnerable groups, such as young people.”

While the Netherlands is in the process of adopting gambling laws that would allow companies that don’t fall under the “bad player” clause to offer their product officially on the market, Dutch authorities are still loathe of allowing any affiliate business to incentivize the country’s citizens to gamble.

An Official gaming Launch and More Measures

Officially, the gambling industry in the Netherlands should launch on July 1, 2020, after which the KSA will build a framework binding future operators by certain practices. The Netherlands is one of the latest markets in Europe to agree and allow gambling on its territory.

At the beginning of 2019, the Swedish market opened up to operators, but regulators have been penalizing non-compliant licensee-holders. Meanwhile, the Netherlands have had quite a bit of trouble staving off international operators which have been knowingly advertising to Dutch audience by targeting the ads in Dutch.

The KSA has issued a number of penalties that have been challenged by some operators in court and ignored by others. However, the Netherlands is adamant, it appears, to not allow any such wrongdoer be part of its legal market once it launches. This could bite into the profits of some established brands.

Meanwhile, the KSA will also work on a way to address problem gambling and the adverse effects of developing a gambling addiction.