Dutch gambling regulatory body, the Kansspelautoriteit, has issued fines to both LeoVegas and Royal Panda for operating within this country’s online gambling market…
…without having the necessary gaming license. Both companies were accused of intentionally targeting players from the Netherlands with their online presence.
Nearly a Million in Fines
Following an investigation into LeoVegas and Royal Panda’s online campaigns targeting Dutch players, the KSA has decided to fine these companies €350,000 and €400,000 respectively.
In their ruling, KSA goes on to explain that the accused were running online casino sites that could be accessed from Dutch IP addresses. That alone most likely wouldn’t constitute intent, however, the…
…sites in question also advertised that they are accepting iDEAL – a payment system that is native to the Netherlands.
Upon receiving tips about these operators, KSA has run an investigation that lasted from August of 2018 to January of 2019. During that time, they have accumulated a body of evidence that…
…showed the accused operators offering slot games, jackpot games, sports betting and other services to Dutch players without having adequate licenses.
As of right now, any form of online gambling is strictly prohibited in the Netherlands. Therefore, the two companies couldn’t get the necessary licenses even if they wanted to.
This country has recently passed the Netherland’s Remote Gambling Act that will go into effect starting July 2020. The new act should set the framework for the online operators and outline requirements for various…
…gambling licenses and other regulations.
One of the provisions regarding the future gaming licenses states that a license will be provided to operators who haven’t been active in the Netherlands two years prior to the application.
With the fines already issued, it is questionable just how lenient KSA will be toward Royal Panda or LeoVegas. These two operators are not the only ones who have found…
…themselves at KSA’s crosshairs. A number of other companies have also been fined by this regulator in recent months. Many are interpreting such a harsh crackdown on online casinos as an attempt to clear up the market before the new regulations kick in.
Finding and fining those who are illegally operating within Dutch online markets is meant to leave a handful of operators, most of which will be completely white hat.
About LeoVegas and Royal Panda
LeoVegas is one of the larger operators in the industry, with a number of brands under their wing. In 2017, this company has brokered a deal to acquire the…
…entirety of Web Investments Limited and thus become the new owner of the Royal Panda brand. Ever since these two companies have been aggressively looking to expand their reach in various markets around Europe and elsewhere.
One of LeoVegas’ most recent successes in this regard came in the form of them winning the license to operate in Sweden. It remains to be seen how KSA’s ruling will affect…
…these companies in their effort to establish a footprint in the future Dutch market.
Source: Author Unknown “Dutch regulator issues fines to LeoVegas and Royal Panda” https://www.igamingbusiness.com/news/dutch-regulator-issues-fines-leovegas-and-royal-panda igamingbusiness.comOctober 10, 2019
