The Netherlands’ gambling regulator (KSA) has threatened legal action against media outlets and marketing agencies advertising the black market.
The Dutch authority revealed it is collecting a stream of complaints regarding newspaper and magazine articles encouraging consumers to wager at unregulated online casinos.
Those online casinos in the Netherlands are not linked to Cruks, the country’s self-exclusion register. The KSA has vowed to begin investigations into the promotions.
The regulator has also contacted the media outlets in question, who will be reported to advertising regulators and consumer protection authorities.
Earlier this month, we reported black market gambling is on the rise in the Netherlands following the introduction of strict deposit limits.
KSA To Take Enforcement Action Against Offenders By Imposing Fines
The authority said in a statement: “The KSA continues to receive numerous reports of news articles that entice consumers to gamble at casinos without Cruks. Active promotion targeting this vulnerable group is therefore extremely harmful.
“Not only the media outlets that publish the articles will be contacted, but an investigation will also be launched into the marketing agencies that offer the articles to various media outlets for a fee.
“With this approach, the KSA aims to raise awareness within the supply chain so that this form of promoting illegal products is quickly stopped. Where necessary, the KSA will also take enforcement action, for example, by imposing fines.”
The KSA will speak with the Netherlands Authority for Consumer Markets (ACM) and the Dutch Advertising Code Foundation (SRC) on how to move forward.
When Did The Netherlands Ban Gambling Advertisement?
In July 2023, the Netherlands implemented a ban on gambling advertisements through most media channels including on television, radio and in print.
Public places cannot advertise sports betting apps, extending to billboards, bus shelters and cafes. Another European country introduced similar measures in 2020 and recently Spain announced its gambling ad restrictions led to a 55% decrease in new accounts being opened.
In July 2024, sponsoring events and programmes was outlawed and the sponsorship of venues and clubs ended earlier this year.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
