Dutch Gambling Regulator Cracks Down on Illegal Gambling Advertising
Dutch Gambling Authority Targets Illegal Gambling Promotion
The Dutch Gambling Authority, known as Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has taken firm action against three companies—SBM Holding Group, Sun Block Media Labs 2.0 Ltd, and JEF Holdings Ltd—for continuing to advertise unlicensed gambling platforms on websites targeting Dutch users. These companies face potential fines reaching up to c225,000 (approximately $261,000) if they persist in hosting unauthorized gambling advertisements.
Ban on Promoting Unlicensed Gambling Operators
The investigation focused on Casinoscout.nl, an affiliate website that initially promoted only legal gambling operators licensed in the Netherlands. However, after a change of ownership in 2025, Casinoscout.nl began redirecting Dutch visitors to offshore casinos without the necessary regulatory approval to operate legally within the country.
During the probe, officials found a dedicated section on the site listing “Best Unlicensed Casinos,” featuring logos, marketing messages, review ratings, and direct invitations encouraging users to register, often enhanced by various sign-up bonuses. Promoting such unlicensed gambling services is strictly prohibited under Dutch law, which forbids marketing unauthorized operators to Dutch residents.
Some of the advertised sites had previously drawn KSA’s attention in enforcement actions. By supporting these illegal operators, Casinoscout.nl violated Dutch regulations that prohibit not only unlicensed gambling but also the advertisement of those services. In 2024 alone, the KSA blocked hundreds of unauthorized gambling domains, demonstrating its commitment to safeguarding players.
The Importance of Rigorous Enforcement for Player Safety
The KSA expressed concern that the website failed to clearly differentiate between licensed and black-market operators, potentially misleading users into believing that all promoted platforms were legal. This lack of clarity posed a significant risk to consumer protection. The authority warned that any operators or affiliates attempting to evade regulations would face strict consequences.
Despite several warnings, the operators of Casinoscout.nl did not address the violations, leading the KSA to shut down the website temporarily. The site reappeared shortly after, using a Dutch IP block to circumvent regulatory oversight. Nevertheless, the KSA continued its enforcement efforts, resulting in a permanent ban of the platform.
The KSA worked with the Netherlands Foundation for Internet Domain Registration to take the site offline.
KSA statement
Refusing to cease operations, the group behind Casinoscout.nl redirected traffic to another site, besteonlinecasinonederland.com, offering similar illegal content. This prompted the KSA to implement further measures, imposing weekly fines of c75,000 (about $87,000), with a maximum penalty of c225,000, for continued promotion of unauthorized gambling services.