Netherlands Fines Profitable Poker Network €25,000+ Per Week
Kansspelautoriteit (also known as KSA) fined two internet gambling and poker operators. Winning Poker Network and Goldwin LTD have been fined after a ongoing investigation by KSA.
The result of the investigation was published on the Kansspelautoriteit website on June 7, 2023. Both brands involved appear to have offered internet gambling or online poker services to Dutch players without holding the relevant license to do so.
What is KSA?
The KSA is an independent administrative authority responsible for the regulation of gambling in the Netherlands. The KSA or Kansspelautoriteit works to ensure that all gambling operators serving players in the Netherlands offer fair games of chance with clear chances of winning.
KSA aims to help potential problem gamblers and reduce potential gambling addiction in the Netherlands. KSA also works to ensure that all operators hold a valid license that allows them to offer games to players living in the Netherlands.
Details on penalties
As part of the KSA’s efforts to enforce relevant gambling-related regulations in the Netherlands, the agency fined two different operators for offering gambling services to customers in the Netherlands without holding the appropriate license to do so.
Winning Poker Network was previously warned by the KSA for offering online poker services through Americas Cardroom. The Winning Poker Network previously promised the KSA that it would stop offering online poker to players in the Netherlands, but the KSA’s investigation found that this was not entirely the case.
The investigation concluded that players from the Netherlands were able to register with True Poker, even though Americas Cardroom stopped serving players in the Netherlands. True Poker is a sister site of ACR in the same Winning Poker Network and is owned by the same group. The games and player pools available from True Poker are almost identical to those featured in Americas Cardroom.
Due to this breach, the KSA has imposed penalty payments of €25,000 ($26,948) per week up to a maximum of €75,000 ($80,845). The amount of this penalty is determined by a number of factors, including the size of the illegal gambling provider.
The KSA also fined GoldWin LTD for offering illegal casino gambling services through the westcasino.com website. This penalty is slightly higher, reaching a whopping €239,000 ($257,626) up to a maximum of €717,000 ($772,000).
However, GoldWin was found to have stopped accepting Dutch players, so it will not be subject to further fines. Still, the penalty payment decision remains on the books and could be implemented in the future if GoldWin starts transacting in the Netherlands again.
West Casino offers casino games such as slotsThe chairman commented on the fines
Rene Jansen is the chairman of the KSA and he provided some notable remarks about these recent enforcement actions. (The quote below is translated from Dutch to English)
It must pay for gambling providers to offer their games legally.
This is only possible if we take the wind out of illegal supply.
We are fully committed to stopping these practices.
KSA Chairman Rene JansenSimilar sanctioning bodies around the world
Although the KSA is the main independent administrative authority enforcing gambling rules in the Netherlands, there are many other agencies located in different parts of the world that function somewhat similarly to the KSA.
ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) is the main agency responsible for regulating gambling in Australia. The ACMA has sanctioned many operators in the past in addition to blacklisting numerous allegedly illegal gambling sites.
ACMA has come a long way in the past few years. Just last month, the ACMA blocked 3 suspected illegal gambling sites, including CS:GO Roll. Back in April, the ACMA blocked Firefox Casino and several other gambling sites.
Another example of a somewhat similar regulatory body is the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). The UKGC enforces UK gambling laws and has imposed some of the largest fines we have seen in the past. In March, for example, the UKGC imposed a whopping £19.2 million ($24 million) fine against William Hill.
Safe poker and online gambling are still available in most jurisdictions
The strict regulation of gambling in the Netherlands can make many players wonder if there are any reasonable options for online gambling or poker. Fortunately, there are still a number of offshore sites that offer reliable online poker and gambling to players in the Netherlands.
Our top recommendation has to be Sportsbetting.ag as they offer plenty of generous bonuses and have an excellent reputation for offering fair poker and online gambling. To learn more, please feel free to check out this detailed SB Poker review.
Players who live elsewhere may want to consult our detailed location-specific guides included below: