Dutch regulator slams illegal operators for “corona-free” online gambling offer
KSA explains use of “completely objectionable” marketing will have severe impact on application for online gambling licence
The Netherlands Gaming Authority (KSA) has fired a fierce warning to illegal online gambling operators using the coronavirus crisis to mop up land-based casino customers.
According to KSA chairman René Jansen, one marketing ploy aimed to persuade consumers with a “corona-free” offering, which the regulator described as “completely objectionable”.
The marketing material – described by the regulator as “unacceptable” – has appeared online since the Covid-19 outbreak caused the closure of arcades and gaming casinos across the country.
“The parties that do this, the providers themselves as well as their advertisers, can count on the keen attention of the KSA,” said Jansen.
Jansen further warned that guilty parties would struggle to get a legitimate licence in the Netherlands when the market’s Remote Gambling Act comes into force in January 2021.
“Parties that use this type of practice can be assured that this will weigh heavily in a possible application for an online gambling licence,” he added.
Last year, it was announced that Dutch licence applications would cost a non-refundable €45,000.