Bet-at-home considers legal action against “unjustified” Dutch fine
Bookmaker may contest fine from the Dutch Gambling Authority for operating without a licence
Bet-at-home has threatened to take legal action against a Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) fine levied against the operator on Tuesday, EGR can reveal.
The Germany-headquartered sports betting operator was yesterday hit with a €410,000 fine by the KSA for offering online gambling without a Dutch licence last year
The company was found to be using Dutch symbols on its website between 14 June 2017- 11 October 2017.
However, Claus Retschitzegger, head of legal at bet-at-home, told EGR the sanction was “unjustified”, adding: “We reserve the right to take legal measures.”
The firm could opt to appeal the fine in court, although the KSA was last year legally able to fine two online gambling companies that offered services to Dutch customers following a ruling by the District Court in The Hague.
Under the Dutch prioritisation criteria, online gambling operators that use the Dutch language on their websites or advertising, or operate websites with the extension .nl, are liable for investigation by the KSA.
In December 2016, the KSA revealed that they would no longer be sending out warning letters to those online gaming providers under investigation prior to the commencement of enforcement proceedings against them.
Following this, the KSA released further guidelines prohibiting operators and their affiliates from targeting local players by using typically Dutch symbols, such as tulips and windmills.
If found to be in violation of these rules, the KSA has the legal authority to impose an order under administrative coercion, a penalty and / or an administrative fine. The maximum fine which it can levy is capped at € 830,000.
A lawsuit concerning the validity of these new regulations was filed by Betsson AB, which argued that these regulations were in breach of EU law, however that lawsuit was dismissed by a judge in The Hague in September 2017.