KSA continues enforcement actions Curacao firms

Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has elevated its enforcement actions taken against Curacao-based operators found to be unlawfully targeting Dutch consumers.    

It follows the KSA launching consecutive enforcement actions against Curacao-based operators, with a Dutch individual charged for assisting unlicensed businesses to operate illegal gambling services.

Curacao-licensed operator Raging Rhino was fined €440,000, as KSA reported that its unlicensed LuckyDays.com domain had offered online casino services to Dutch players.

Of concern, KSA noted that Luckydays.com was able to process over €18 million in player transactions during the period of May-to-July 2020, utilising the iDEAL payment platform – Dutch finance’s most popular online payment method.

KSA has ordered Dutch internet services providers to immediately block access by Dutch IPs to all Raging Rhino connected websites.

The second KSA enforcement, saw Dutch police raid a suspect’s house in the municipality of Velsen and a property in Spain, seizing evidence of illegal online gambling activities tied to two unnamed Curacao businesses.

The raid, which was co-sanctioned by the Dutch Tax Authority, was carried out on the house of a 56-year-old resident who is suspected of money laundering and abetting unlicensed online gambling practices.

KSA and the police stated that the criminal investigation of its second enforcement is still ongoing in which arrests have not been ruled out.  

The incidents would see KSA chairman René Jansen issue a market statement warning to all KOA regime applicants, detailing that any connection with unlicensed activities during the Dutch online gambling licensing window would not be tolerated.  

Moving to launch the Netherlands online gambling marketplace from 1 October, Jansen stated that KSA had been ordered to take the strictest approach to monitoring operator conduct.