Netherlands Gambling Authority issues €675,000 fine to Casinojager owner
The Netherlands Gambling Authority has issued a €675,000 fine to Albania-based Red Ridge Marketing, which owns and operates at least four Netherlands-facing affiliate websites, including casinojager.com, that were found to promote illegal gambling.
The move follows the previous issuance of a conditional penalty payment that appeared to have had no effect.
The Dutch regulator cited several instances in which Casinojager listed the “advantages” of making use of an unlicensed casino operator or made negative statements regarding the Dutch national exclusion register, CRUKS.
Whether the fine will have more impact than the previously imposed conditional penalty payment remains to be seen.
In related news, the Dutch regulator also issued a conditional penalty payment to Winning Poker Network for allowing Dutch customers to make use of its services without being licensed in the country.
GB Gambling Commission and William Hill reach record £19.2m regulatory settlement
Three gambling businesses owned by William Hill Group will pay a total of £19.2 million for social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures, the GB Gambling Commission said in a press release.
The Gambling Commission cited several incidents that contributed to the record settlement, including one customer who was allowed to open a new account and spend £23,000 in 20 minutes without any checks and another customer who was able to deposit and lose over £70,000 in a single month.
Andrew Rhodes, Gambling Commission chief executive, said: “When we launched this investigation, the failings we uncovered were so widespread and alarming serious consideration was given to license suspension.
“However, because the operator immediately recognized their failings and worked with us to swiftly implement improvements, we instead opted for the largest enforcement payment in our history.”
Upcoming events
The following event(s) may be of interest to the GiH community.
The 2023 Gaming in Spain Conference, which will take place in Madrid on May 18, 2023. Confirmed speakers include both the current and former leadership of Spain's national regulator DGOJ. Registration is now open!
Don't miss the 2023 Gaming in Holland Conference on June 8, 2023, at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam. Register today!
Dutch untargeted gambling ad ban to enter into force “no later than July 1”
In response to Parliamentary questioning, Dutch minister Franc Weerwind said that the previously announced ban on untargeted advertising for online gambling services (which includes a ban on broadcast, print, and outdoor ads) will enter into force “no later” than July 1, 2023.
Weerwind further spoke out against the suggestion that licensed gambling operators should be subject to a “two-strikes-and-out" model regarding advertising violations, citing the need for proportionality and subsidiarity. “Experience shows that norm-conveying discussions between regulator and licensed operators generally have already the desired effect,” Weerwind added.
Finally, Weerwind said that licensed operators have no way of checking whether minors are allowed to make use of the accounts of approved customers. Thus, instead of sanctioning operators, it would be more helpful to develop and launch awareness-raising campaigns to discourage minors from gambling.
Other news
Belgian media released a joint statement questioning the usefulness of the country's announced gambling advertising ban.
UK charity GambleAware has announced a £350,000 grant to support new research into how people who experience gambling harm are affected by stigma and discrimination.
Affiliate company Better Collective has reported a revenue growth of 52% for 2022.
Swedish gaming regulator Spelinspektionen has issued nine more supplier licenses to providers looking to offer services to operators.