Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling regulator, has notified Holland Casino, an operator holding a Dutch land-based and online gambling license, to stop advertising its physical locations through its iGaming website as it is against the law in the Dutch regulated market.
The investigation:
In October 2021, the KSA discovered that the operator advertised links on its website that led to information about the operator’s physical location.
Furthermore, on Friday, December 2nd, the KSA publicly announced the decision, stating: “Holland Casino, through its online gambling website, cannot advertise physical casino locations. The decision was made after we investigated the retailer’s operations back in October 2021. The investigation revealed the possibility that the operator’s online gambling operations contained advertisements or links to its retail locations. This, according to the law of the country, is a violation of the applicable gambling regulations of the country.
“Under current gambling regulations, online gambling operators cannot advertise good or services different than their licenses via their websites.”
Spokesperson at the KSA, said: “The decision could only be published today due to pending procedures.”
Monopoly license:
Holland Casino holds two licenses, with one of them being land-based, aka monopoly license for providing retail casino gambling in the Netherlands, and the KSA acknowledged that in its statement.
However, it is clear from the announcement that despite this license, the operator still violated the law with its unauthorized advertising.
Taking the necessary measures:
However, the KSA stated that Holland Casino had taken appropriate measures to stop the advertising, guaranteeing its compliance with the regulations.
Spokesperson at KSA, added: “Holland Casino has since taken measures to end the violation.”
KSA continues to observe the market:
Following this announcement by KSA, last week the regulator warned Dutch-licensed iGaming providers to stop giving cashback bonuses, as it is illegal in the country.
The KSA signified that cashback bonuses provide players with the opportunity to recoup part of their loses, which helps them take more risks as it lowers the financial threshold for gambling.
Also in November, the regulator publicly announced that it had filed a lawsuit against one Dutch-licensed operator, Toto Online. Therefore, the KSA fined the operator 400.000 euros, which is approximately 419.410 US dollars, for advertising to young adults.
In this regard, the regulator said: “We uncovered that the operator advertised bonus offers to an audience aged 18 to 23, which is against the existing regulations for gambling advertising.”
About:
Headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Holland Casino was founded and officially launched in 1976.
It currently owns 14 casinos across the country.