Malta Online Casino Faces Record Fine from Dutch Regulator
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has issued a 19.7 million euro fine against Gammix Limited, an online casino company based in Malta, for providing gambling services to players in the Netherlands without a license.
The latest penalty sets a new record as the highest fine ever imposed by the KSA. It surpasses the former record fines of 12 million euros for N1 Interactive Limited and 10 million euros for Videoslots Unlimited in March 2023.
Gammix Limited is no stranger to fines. The company had been previously fined 4 million euros by the regulator for similar breaches.
Dutch gaming regulations mandate that companies must hold a license to offer online gambling services in the Netherlands.
Although Gammix has a Malta Gaming Authority license which it currently uses to operate 21 different casinos, it is not approved in the Dutchland.
Gammix Allegedly Flouts KSA Warnings
According to the KSA, despite receiving multiple warnings and directives, the company has failed to implement adequate measures to prevent players in the Netherlands from gambling on its websites. Moreover, the company's websites lack adequate measures to deter underage individuals from placing wagers.
Dutch players must be protected, therefore we are taking a strong stance against illegal gambling offerings. We often see that illegal operators pay little attention to player well-being and do not adhere to responsible gambling practices. This case exemplifies this, with the absence of clear age controls, which can be highly detrimental.
About 2.6m Dutch Players Engage Gammix Websites
An investigation conducted by the KSA also revealed that the company's websites were accessible from a Dutch IP address. They also allowed the creation of accounts using a Dutch postal address and phone number.
Furthermore, the Dutch ban was not specifically outlined in the company's terms and conditions. To substantiate these findings, the KSA signed up on various Gammix websites, using registration details from the Netherlands, and deposited 20 euros in each from Dutch bank accounts.
Leveraging SimilarWeb's audience data, the KSA approximated that around 2.6 million users from the Netherlands played on about a dozen Gammix websites. The regulator focused solely on these 12 sites, with each attracting a minimum of 5,000 users in the country.
Some of these Gammix websites include bluvegas.com, cashimashi.com, betoriginal.com, goslot.com, nordslot.com, rantcasino.com, scatters.com, and vegadream.com.
The authority estimated a per-user revenue of 115.12 euros, resulting in a gross turnover of nearly 303 million euros.
The KSA stated that the €19.7m fine is equivalent to 6.5 percent of the estimated gross revenue generated from users in the Netherlands. The regulator also factored in other unfair business practices like lack of age verification, autoplay and turboplay features, unfair inactivity fees, and more.
Gammix Limited has filed an objection in response to the case.
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