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Read Full BioThe Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA), the Dutch regulator, has hit the online casino operator Techno Offshore with a 1.2 million euro ($1.4 million) fine.
The KSA accused the operator of “illegally offering gambling” services via its Nolimitbet and Simplecasino websites.
In an official notice, the regulator wrote that “offering online gambling without a license for the Dutch market” remains “prohibited.”
Dutch Regulator: Netherlands-Based Users Can Still Access Sites
Last year, the regulator ordered Techno Offshore to stop offering its services to Dutch customers and threatened fines if it failed to comply.
However, the KSA’s latest report claims that Techno Offshore has not adhered to its requests. The regulator said the firm has not stopped allowing Netherlands-based customers onto its platforms.
The regulator’s report noted that the operator was still providing “prohibited games” and using “cryptocurrency” to make customer account deposits.
It also noted that Techno Offshore did not enforce “playing limits” or “age verification” policies on its websites.
The KSA noted that the operator’s websites “did not take sufficient measures” to block “Dutch players.” The regulator wrote: “Options like autoplay and turboplay were available. These types of game options encourage excessive gambling behavior.”
Michel Groothuizen, the Chairman of the KSA’s Executive Board, was quoted as stating: “Licensed providers in the Netherlands must comply with all kinds of rules to protect players from gambling addiction.”
Groothuizen added that “illegal providers” often fail to take steps to “prevent” the development of high-risk gaming behavior.
He said that examples of this include “not using age verification, enabling payments with crypto, or failing to enforce gaming limits.” Groothuizen said: “We will take stern action against these types of [operators] because they attract players to illegal websites. And consumers have insufficient levels of protection [on these sites].”
Techno Offshore – British Virgin Islands-based
The regulator noted that the Techno Offshore websites state that the firm is located in Tortola. The latter is the largest of the British Virgin Islands.
It also stated that Techno Offshore has a Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission permit to “operate and offer gambling on websites.”
The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission regulates the gambling industry in the Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Territory in Quebec, Canada.
The KSA noted that, during its probe into Techno Offshore, it discovered that the firm’s “websites remained accessible from Dutch IP addresses.”
The KSA wrote that its latest investigation “showed that it was still possible to log in from the Netherlands and participate in games of chance on the websites. No technical measures had been taken to prevent participants from the Netherlands from accessing [gambling games].”
The regulator also noted that “Netherlands” was offered as a “country of residence” option during the websites’ registration processes.
If customers chose “Netherlands” as their “country of residence,” the websites’ software automatically filled in the country code for the Netherlands (+31) in the telephone number field.
Groothuizen: More Reforms Needed
Groothuizen took charge at the KSA in mid-2024. Shortly after his appointment, he claimed that forthcoming Dutch gambling reforms would incorporate elements of “continuity and inevitability.”
Last year, the KSA chief said he was committed to reforming the Netherlands’ Remote Gambling Act (known locally as the KOA) despite the reservations of the Dutch coalition government.
Groothuizen has spoken about the need to launch a regulated gambling market in the Netherlands. He has claimed that this would help boost user protection and fight the rise of black market players.
He has also called on the government to grant the KSA more direct powers to block access to illegal gambling websites.
The KSA is the top supervisor and regulator of gambling services in the Netherlands. Per its website, the regulator is “funded by the industry through gambling levies.”
