The Netherlands’ gaming regulator, known as the KSA, has issued a hefty €350,000 penalty (approximately $391,532) to ElectraWorks Limited. Their offense? The company was discovered offering digital gambling services, including their Bwin.com platform, to residents of the Netherlands. The catch? Such activities remain prohibited under Dutch law.
ElectraWorks, the entity responsible for the prominent Bwin brand (a subsidiary of the GVC Holdings group), was found to be providing a range of options, from wagering on sporting events to games like roulette, blackjack, and poker. Furthermore, their efforts to engage the Dutch market were far from discreet – they even facilitated transactions in euros.
To make matters worse, the website prominently featured the Dutch language and utilized a “.nl” domain name, leaving little doubt about their intentions to attract Dutch users.
The KSA emphasized that while online gambling is slated for legalization in the Netherlands under the Remote Gambling Act starting January 1, 2021, operators will be subject to a rigorous licensing process. Based on preliminary interest and observations from other countries, they anticipate granting only around 90 online gambling licenses.