The Dutch Gaming Authority (Kansspelautoriteit/KSA) has levied a fine against a Costa Rica-based operator over the illegal provision of gambling. The KSA issued a reminder that only operators with a Dutch license are allowed to operate in the Netherlands.
The Operator Targeted the Dutch Market
In its official release, the KSA said that it has imposed a fine of EUR 3,082,000 ($3,571,833) on Chestoption Sociedad de Responsibilidad Limitada, a Costa Rica-based gambling company operating as Vave.com. This comes after the regulator learned that Vave.com was available to players in the Netherlands, despite the fact that its parent company does not possess a Dutch license.
The KSA investigated the matter and understood that Chestoption’s gambling offering was advertised in the Dutch language, leading to the conclusion that it actively targeted Dutch gamblers. There were no measures to prevent participation from the Netherlands either.
Additional aggravating circumstances included the fact that Vave.com lacked age verification and offered autoplay, which is prohibited in the Netherlands. To top it all off, the website also allowed players to use cryptocurrencies to gamble, which is another thing that is not allowed under the Dutch.
As it turned out, this isn’t the first time Vave.com has been slammed with a similar penalty in the Netherlands either.
The KSA Warned Batnation over Self-Exclusion Failures
In other news, the KSA just reprimanded Smart Gaming, Betnation’s parent company, over self-exclusion failures. The report stated that Betnation had failed to perform sufficient checks for a number of players to see if they had excluded themselves from playing, thus allowing a number of self-excluded players to participate in gambling.
While the KSA noted that this is a serious violation, it also acknowledged the fact that Betnation self-reported the issue and took immediate action to remediate it. As a result, the regulator only reprimanded the company.
In the meantime, the Netherlands, which boasts one of the most restrictive gambling regimes in Europe, continues to mull over further restrictions. New proposals announced by Justice and Security State Secretary Claudia van Bruggen include a ban on online gambling ads, affordability measures, self-exclusion changes, and extra regulatory powers to block unlicensed gambling operators from reaching Dutch customers.