Casbit is facing sanctions for operating unauthorized gaming activities.
The Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has given a notice to Casbit Group, informing them of weekly penalties if they do not cease offering unlicensed online gambling within the nation.
The KSA has accused Casbit of providing unauthorized online gambling services in the Netherlands. Casbit operates in the Netherlands through its Lala.bet website.
The KSA stated that they have issued numerous warnings to Casbit regarding their actions and have indicated the possibility of imposing fines. Casbit responded by making their website inaccessible to Dutch players.
However, after a re-examination, the regulatory body discovered that Dutch players could still access the website. Consequently, the KSA has commenced the enforcement of a penalty order. The penalty order will be implemented if Casbit fails to cease operations within the country.
Casbit could face fines of up to €840,000.
Therefore, Casbit will be required to pay a fine of €280,000 (£239,002/$299,156) per week, as long as they continue to operate in the Netherlands. The fine can reach a maximum of €840,000, or a maximum of three weeks of illegal activity.
“Strict rules and regulations are in place for licensed providers of games of chance,” the KSA stated. “These rules are designed to provide secure and legal services, ensure fair play for participants, and prevent gambling addiction.”
**Combating Unlawful Gaming**
Casbit is the most recent organization to face serious repercussions from the KSA for running online gambling platforms without authorization in the Netherlands.
Earlier this year, the KSA imposed a record penalty of €19.6 million on Gammix Limited for providing games without permission.
In June 2022, Gammix received a directive to cease operations or incur a weekly fine of €1.4 million. Subsequently, in March, the KSA instructed Gammix to pay €4.4 million due to their continued operation in the Netherlands.
This latest penalty stems from those prior warnings. The KSA asserted that Gammix “failed to take any action to prevent Dutch players from accessing their website.”
The KSA’s focus extends beyond gambling enterprises. This week, they issued a directive to DigitalOcean, a hosting service, to cease support for unlawful affiliate websites.
The KSA issued a stringent order following an investigation spanning the entirety of 2023. This is a common practice when illegal activities have occurred but a final punishment has not been determined.
**The Dutch Gambling Market is Expanding**
Despite the KSA’s crackdown, there is positive news for legal gambling in the Netherlands.
This week, the KSA released their gambling report for the first half of the year, providing a comprehensive overview of the market. The report indicates that total betting revenue increased by 28% in 2023, reaching €1…
Three hundred ninety billion.
The total count of player accounts rose from nine hundred seventy thousand in December of twenty-twenty-two to one point one million in December of twenty-twenty-three. The report projects that seven hundred twenty-six thousand players were actively using legal services. This signifies that in the latter half of twenty-twenty-three, roughly five percent of adults participated in active wagering.
Looking forward, H2 Gambling Capital anticipates that growth in the Netherlands will persist at approximately eight percent over the subsequent five years.
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