The Dutch Gambling Authority has fined 711 B.V. €886,000 for failing to protect online gambling players properly. The operator did not properly monitor risky gambling behaviour or intervene when customers showed signs of possible harm.
The decision covers activity between February 2022 and June 2024. It adds to Dutch enforcement against licensed operators that failed to protect players after the legal online market opened.
Regulator reviewed ten player files
The KSA investigation focused on ten customer files from 711. The players were selected because they had some of the largest losses, played on many days and regularly gambled at night.
The regulator found breaches in all ten files. 711 did not properly analyse gambling behaviour, take suitable action in time or hold the required personal welfare conversations with players at risk.
Some players were allowed to keep gambling after large losses. The regulator also criticised the operator for accepting weak or outdated financial information when checking whether players could afford their gambling activity.
Risky play continued for weeks
The KSA found that 711 allowed risky gambling to continue for long periods in some cases. Warning signs included high deposits, large losses, long playing sessions and repeated requests to raise limits.
The regulator also found that 711 did not always follow its own internal policy. That policy required extra risk checks once a player deposited or lost €2,500 or more, but those checks were carried out too late in several cases. 711 also allowed high deposit limits on some accounts. The decision refers to limits that could reach €25,000 a day, €50,000 a week and €100,000 a month.
Duty of care remains priority
KSA chair Michel Groothuizen feels not all operators had organised duty of care properly from the start of the regulated market. The regulator has since made rules stricter to limit extreme losses and poor intervention.
The Netherlands opened its regulated online gambling market in October 2021. Licensed operators must monitor player behaviour, identify signs of gambling harm and act when risks appear. Those actions can include direct contact with players, affordability checks, limits, account restrictions or exclusion. The KSA has made duty of care one of its main supervision priorities.
Rules now set clearer limits
Dutch duty of care rules have become more detailed since the period covered by the 711 case. Operators must now respond faster when players show risky behaviour or reach high deposit levels.
The KSA has also pushed operators to use stronger checks for affordability and player welfare. That means licensees face closer scrutiny when high losses, night-time play or repeated limit increases appear on customer accounts.
