KSA Issues Fine to Casbit Group for Operating without a License

The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) announced that it has issued a fine to yet another gambling operator, asking it to cease its operation in the Netherlands. The operator in hot water this time is Casbit Group NV, which offered games of chance illegally, according to the KSA.

The Dutch gambling regulator said that Casbit operated in the Netherlands through the lala.bet website, despite lacking the required license to target the local market. The KSA reminded operators that an official permit is required before a company can operate in the Netherlands.

As a result, the KSA previously asked Casbit to cease its operation, telling it that failure to comply could lead to a penalty of up to €280,000 ($300,700) per week to a maximum of €840,000 ($902,200).

At first, Casbit responded to KSA’s request, agreeing to make its website inaccessible to Dutch players. However, the KSA checked again at a later date and learned that players were still able to play from the Netherlands.

Because of this violation, the KSA decided to impose a fine as it had previously warned.

The KSA vowed to continue the war on unlicensed gambling and warned that companies that wish to operate in the Netherlands should follow the local rules. The authority said that rules are needed to guarantee the safety of local players and to make sure that the gambling offerings available to Dutch fans are fair and balanced.

The KSA concluded that illegal games of chance undermine the existing regulatory system and jeopardize the safety of Dutch gamblers.

The KSA Is Committed to Weeding Out Unlicensed Companies

KSA’s action against Casbit aligns with the regulator’s continuous efforts to safeguard the integrity of the Dutch market. The authority has always been particularly strict when it comes to illegal gambling and has always sought to prevent the promotion and offering of unlicensed gambling.

Two days ago, the KSA also issued a warning against DigitalOcean, a provider of online hosting solutions. According to the regulator, DigitalOcean provided services to two gambling affiliate websites that promoted unlicensed casino companies. Since the KSA failed to contact the owners of the affiliates themselves, it opted to instead ask DigitalOcean to cease offering services to the websites in question.

In other news, the Netherlands Online Gambling Association recently commented on the declining channelization rates, suggesting that the overzealous regulatory approach might be pushing players toward the riskier black market.