The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has fined Novatech €24,846,000 for offering online gambling in the Netherlands without a license. The regulator described the penalty as the largest it has issued to an illegal operator to date, based on its announcement.
In the same enforcement update, the KSA also fined Fortaprime €1,795,000 for illegal gambling offers on multiple sites accessible to Dutch players.
What the KSA says it found on Novatech’s sites
The KSA said investigators were able to create accounts, deposit funds, and participate in gambling during the investigation. The regulator also said there were no technical measures in place at the time to block access from the Netherlands.
In the Novatech decision, the regulator said Qbet.com was reachable from a Dutch IP address and that investigators could register using Dutch details, log in, deposit, and play games.
Why the regulator treated this as an aggravated case
The KSA said it identified aggravating factors, including the lack of visible age verification. It also said players could use cryptocurrency and other anonymous payment methods, which it said increases money laundering risk.
The KSA said it issued larger fines to the operators than normal because it estimates the operators earned more from Dutch players than standard penalties would reflect. KSA chair Michel Groothuizen said Dutch law caps fines at 10% of global turnover, and argued that without that cap the Novatech penalty would have exceeded €100 million.
KSA already gave warnings to both operators
The KSA said both parties had previously been issued penalty orders before the fines. It also said it works with third parties such as payment providers, hosting companies, banks, and tech platforms to restrict illegal offers, and warned that influencers who promote illegal operators can face sanctions.
