Dutch Regulator Issues €734K Fine for Failing to Protect Young Gamblers

^{Pictured: Michel Groothuizen, KSA chair}

The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has handed out a €734,000 ($784,000) fine to a licensed operator for failing to protect young players showing signs of gambling harm — marking the first time the regulator has issued a penalty tied specifically to player protection.

While the regulator normally discloses the names of companies facing penalties, a court order has temporarily blocked the release of the operator’s identity due to ongoing legal proceedings.

The fine followed an investigation into player accounts involving individuals aged 18 to 23, after the KSA received reports of unusually high losses. Ten cases were reviewed, with each player losing tens of thousands of euros in a short span. In every case, the operator neglected its legal “duty of care”, despite clear indicators of excessive gambling.

“Not only has [the company] failed to intervene to prevent risky behavior,” said KSA Chair Michel Groothuizen, “it has not intervened — or has intervened too late — after players had already developed such behavior.”

This comes just one day after a Dutch court ordered Betsson to pay €530,000 to a player who lost money on the platform while it was operating in the Netherlands without a license.