Dutch Regulator Fines LeoVegas €500,000 Over Player Protection Breaches

The Dutch gambling regulator has fined LeoVegas EUR 500,000 ($590,019) for not protecting players well enough over a long time. The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) said LeoVegas must pay this amount because it did not meet its duty to care for players in the Netherlands.

LeoVegas Under Fire for Allowing High-Risk Gambling Without Intervention

The KSA found that LeoVegas broke the rules from October 2023 to May 2024. During this period, gambling companies with licenses had to watch how customers played and step in if they saw signs of too much or risky gambling. The KSA decided that LeoVegas did not do this well enough, which left players at risk of gambling problems.

As part of its probe, the watchdog asked LeoVegas for many player records after spotting possible red flags. All the files they looked at showed lapses in how the company cared for its players. In quite a few cases, customers could put in and lose huge amounts of money without the company stepping in soon enough or in a meaningful way.

One case they pointed out involved a player who moved tens of thousands of euros into their account right after signing up and raised their betting stakes. Even with these clear signs of possible harmful behavior, the company did not put in place good limits or talk to the player right away. In another case, a player showing serious signs of gambling problems just got a pop-up message on their screen, which the watchdog said was too easy to ignore and not enough given how serious things were.

LeoVegas Appeals Fine as KSA Signals Stricter Player Safeguards

Michel Groothuizen, the board chair of the KSA, emphasized that protecting players is central to Dutch regulations. He pointed out that big financial losses in a short time are a crucial sign that operators need to take the situation seriously. The KSA has stepped up its oversight in this area and plans to take firm action when companies do not measure up. The regulator sees ignoring the duty of care as unacceptable.

LeoVegas has fought back against the regulator’s findings. The company says responsible gambling remains a top concern and that it works hand in hand with Dutch officials. Still, it does not see eye to eye with the KSA’s judgment and has contested the penalty.

The operator also pointed out that it has kept improving and bolstering its responsible gaming systems since the review kicked off, with ongoing checks of its internal operations.

The KSA’s penalty puts LeoVegas on a growing list of licensed operators it has punished for similar violations. In recent years, other big names have had to pay millions of euros for not stepping in when players showed signs they were gambling too much. These crackdowns show the Dutch watchdog is getting tougher and make it clear that strong player safeguards are now a must for all companies doing business in the market.