Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has fined online gaming operator Shark77 €900,000 for allowing players in the Netherlands to play through its website despite the company having no license to operate.
According to the investigation, the regulator discovered that Shark77 offered both online casino games and sports betting to Dutch players through an unnamed website.
Speaking of the fine, René Jansen, chairman of the KSA stated:
‘These providers attract local players and jeopardize the the business of licensed operators. We consider this serious and highly undesirable. Dutch players deserve the good protection of providers with a license from the Gaming Authority.’
Shark77 is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority and operates CasinoWinNow, 18bet and SportEmpire.
This is the first fine imposed by the KSA in 2023 and brings the total for 2023 past the €2.2 million mark. Gambling industry fines in 2022 came to €251,712,034 / $269,532,490 – a significant increase of 443.9% compared to 2021’s total of €44,753,969 / $48,642,992.
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.