KSA Warns Holland Casino Online & Vbet over Unauthorized Own Goal Bets

The Dutch Gaming Authority (Kansspelautoriteit/KSA) has warned two operators over certain betting products that carry an increased risk of match-fixing. In this case, these included bets related to own goals.

The Two Operators Took Down the Unauthorized Bets

In its announcement, the KSA said that Holland Casino Online and Vbet had been offering bets on own goals, in violation of the Dutch gambling laws. After investigating the matter, the authority concluded that these two were the online licensed gambling providers that had been offering this type of wager.

For context, an own goal refers to cases in which players accidentally score points for the opposing team. In the Netherlands, offering bets on such events is strictly forbidden as it carries an increased risk of match-fixing.

In its announcement, the KSA said that both Holland Casino Online and Vbet immediately complied with its warning and took down the problematic bets. In addition to that, the two operators have also taken additional management measures to prevent such wagers from appearing on their platforms in the future.

The KSA concluded that this means that the matter has been “settled sufficiently,” at least for now.

In the meantime, the KSA reminded operators that its integrity guideline, which is available online, clearly explains what types of bets are allowed. According to that guideline, own goals are a “negative event” due to the fact that they can be easily used by people looking to manipulate the outcomes of a game.

KSA Issued a Record-Breaking Fine

Last month, the KSA slammed two operators with sizeable fines due to significant violations of the local gaming law. One of these received a record-breaking fine, although the KSA chair argued that it should have been even higher.

The recipients of the fines included Fortaprime and Novatech, both of which had offered gambling without a license. The former company was required to pay a $2 million fine, while the latter was slapped with a record-breaking penalty of $28.9 million.

As mentioned, the KSA argued that Novatech’s fine should have been even higher due to the severity of its offenses. However, the KSA was limited by the Netherlands’ legal guidelines.