Illegally operating online gambling operations in the Netherlands will face an opening fine of €200,000 from Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit—a rise of €50,000.
The regulator said that the previous level of fines was not “terrifying” enough and unlicensed operators continue to target the country’s gamblers.
The regulator said fine amounts will be adjusted depending on the specific violation, taking into account factors such as the number of sites that are being run by the operator, the amount of games offered, as well as the level of prizes and bonuses available to consumers, in a press release.
The regulator will also increase fines by €75,000 for three specific rule breaches—offering live betting, calculating costs for temporary inactive players and making misleading statements about permits and supervision.
KSA chairman, René Jansen, said the increase in financial penalties will support new regulations for online gambling in the country. Last month, the Dutch Senate passed a new Remote Gaming Act.
“The fines we used were not terrifying enough,” Jansen said in the release. “The Senate recently adopted the bill on remote games of chance, which makes it possible to apply for a license in time for offering gambling via the internet. “The intention of the law is to create an attractive legal online gaming offer, which makes it possible for consumers to play safely on a fair market.
“There is no room for illegal providers,” he continued. “That is why we intend to thoroughly review our penalties policy for the future. The updating of the fines policy is now only a first step.”
The Netherlands plans to begin awarding online gaming licenses starting in 2020 at a tax rate of 29.1 percent of gross revenue.
