Summary
- KSA dishes out a second large fine (previously BetCity) in a little over a month against local operators
- Unibet’s operator, Optdeck Service Limited, is said to have failed to uphold the duty of care
- KSA remains determined to continue taking action against operators it believes are failing to hold their end
The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has issued a fine against Optdeck Service Limited, alleging that the company had breached duty of care obligations. The KSA has investigated the company, which trades as Unibet in the country, between July 14, 2022, and July 1, 2024, and established omissions that it deemed sufficient to issue a stiff penalty.
Unibet braces for a tough end-of-year as a seven-figure penalty hits
KSA Optdeck has been fined €4,000,000, one of the largest financial actions taken against a licensed operator in the Netherlands. According to the watchdog, there have been violations of player protection measures. KSA Chairman of the Board, Michel Groothuizen, stated the case and used this as an opportunity to remind other license holders about compliance with local market rules: When there are signs of excessive gambling behavior, and someone wagers a large amount of money in a short period of time, a provider must promptly investigate the source of the money. This can be done by requesting income information. It is essential that providers conduct this analysis properly because not all financial resources can simply be included. The KSA takes violations of its duty of care very seriously and will continue to take strong action against them. The regulator said that players were allowed to deposit thousands of euros per day, but there was no prompt intervention when signs of excessive gambling behavior were identified. In some cases, follow-up action came only several weeks later. The regulator said that some players suffered substantial losses without action from Unibet. The KSA similarly criticized Unibet’s methodology, arguing that it did not go to the required lengths to protect consumers by introducing interventions that were too light. One of the examples included an easily dismissible pop-up window. The latest enforcement action comes a little over a month after KSA also issued a penalty against BetCity, fining the operator for a total of €2,650,000. In the case of BetCity, the watchdog similarly cited failures related to the duty of care and consumer protection.
