Dutch Gambling Regulator Prevents 23 Affiliate Marketing Sites From Advertising Online Gambling

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) Netherlands' gambling regulator, has informed the public that it has prevented 23 affiliate marketing sites from online gambling brands advertising activity.

This was preceded by the periodic research into activities of this nature in this country. During their study, they examined a total of 44 websites.

Second Time Around

KSA has gotten in touch with 20 websites, out of 26 in total that contained iGaming promotion material...

...and these have withdrawn their ads immediately after being asked to do so. The remaining three only did the same after KSA warned them again that they could be facing a severe penalty.

As for the remaining three websites, the investigation into their activity is still ongoing. Neither of the sites' identities have been disclosed by the regulator in the study. This is the second time KSA has conducted a study such as this one...

...as the original one took part from 2016 to 2017, after which 17 sites had to halt their iGaming advertisements in the Netherlands.

In the Wake of Market Launch

Regulator's official statement reads:

“Protecting consumers is an important objective of the KSA. Participants in games of chance from providers without a licence are not guaranteed a fair game. Nor is it possible to monitor the participation of vulnerable groups, such as young people.”

According to current Dutch laws, online gaming and advertising of these activities...

...is still not legal. The country is preparing the long-awaited launch of their online gambling market after the Dutch Senate passed the Remote Gambling Act in February. The iGaming market will most likely be open on January 1st 2021nd consumers will be able to go to providers with a license supervised by KSA.

As a part of preparing for the new market launch, KSA was very active with clamping down on illegal gambling activities and some of the most recent measures they introduced were anti-money laundering policies and duty of care guidelines.

A Surge in Operators' Interest

Before they begin handing out iGaming licenses...

...the regulator has asked all interested operators to express their level of interest on their website, thus creating a registry of sorts that would help them assess with more precision just what is the true level of enthusiasm for the Dutch market.

And, as it turns out – it's quite big! As many as 183 companies have expressed their interest in acquiring an online gaming license! 89 of these are foreign, while 83 are domestic companies.

Speaking of licensing conditions, Rene Jensen, KSA chair, said:

“Such an operation places quite a high demand for an organization the size of the KSA. However, we are doing everything in our power to get it done. If we cannot manage with our permanent staff, we will hire external staff.”

The application currently costs £45,000 with a financial guarantee of £830,000.

Source:

“Dutch regulator halts igaming affiliate marketing on 23 websites”, igamingbusiness.com, July 19, 2019.