Starscream latest to face regulatory action in the Netherlands
KSA said yesterday (22 April) that Starscream has been operating in the Netherlands without the relevant licence. The regulator said Starscream has been illegally targeting Dutch players.
A KSA-led investigation focused on the company’s Rantcasino.com, Sugarcasino.com and Allstarzcasino.com websites. According to the regulator, players in the Netherlands have been able to access and gamble on each site despite Starscream not holding a licence.
Operators can only offer online gambling in the Netherlands after securing approval from the regulator.
Three Starscream websites fall foul of regulations
The probe began last June when KSA agents gained access to both the Sugarcasino.com and Rantcasino.com websites.
They were able to create an account, deposit funds and play games of chance. KSA noted there was no evidence that Starscream had put in place technical measures to stop Dutch consumers from gambling on the website.
Agents were able to play again during follow-up visits to the two websites in September of the same year. However, during a further visit in December, they were not able to access the sites, with technical measures now in place.
As for Allstarzcasino.com, KSA agents also tested the website in December. As was the case with earlier visits to the other two sites, they could create an account, deposit and gamble, with no blocking measures in place.
Regulator continues “tough” approach
Taking all this into account, despite some effort to block Dutch players on two of the sites, the regulator deemed the activity to be illegal. As such, it ruled Starscream should be issued with a penalty payment.
This has been set at €280,000 per week, up to a maximum of €840,000. The ruling is dated 21 January but has only been made public this week.
“The Netherlands has a regulated gambling market to better protect players,” KSA said. “We are therefore taking tough action against illegal offers. With a penalty payment, illegal offers are often quickly stopped. Providers may also be fined for the period during which the illegal offer was available.”
Another operator faces action in the Netherlands
Starscream is the latest unlicensed operator to face regulatory action over its operations in the country. During recent weeks, KSA has handed out a series of penalties and warnings to operators breaching national law.
Earlier this month, Techno Offshore was fined €1.2 million for running gambling without a licence. The company owns both the Nolimitbet.com and Simplecasino.com brands.
This week, KSA also imposed a weekly penalty payment order on Gamusoft for unlicensed operations. The order relates to csgofast.com, which allows users to wager on esports title Counter Strike: Global Offensive.
The orders come amid the Licensed Dutch Online Gambling Providers (VNLOK) trade body airing its concerns over illegal market growth in the Netherlands. This followed KSA revealing the channelisation rate in the country was just 50% over H2 2024.
In related news, VNLOK yesterday announced Helma Lodders has resigned as its chair. Björn Fuchs has been elected as the new chair and will combine the role with his current position as chief digital officer at Fair Play Casino.