KSA reminds operators of new obligations under gambling act

The KSA has thus far granted 10 online gaming licences to operators prior to the market launch.

So far, these operators have not been named, but players will be able to see which operators are licenced ahead of online gaming becoming available from in October as they’ll have access to the Gambling Guide of the Gaming Authority.

The Dutch government has already called for stricter sanctions against unlicenced operators who accept money from players – one such penalty will be a fine worth 4% of the operator’s turnover.

In addition to fining the operator Tipico €531,250 for offering gambling to Dutch customers without a licence, the KSA has also shut down illegal bingo and lottery operators found to be running on Facebook.

Operators will also be required to establish a player’s identity under the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act.

They will also need to check whether the player is registered with Cruks – the Central Register Exclusion of Chance Games. The same system will be used to check players who gamble in arcades and casinos.

Operators are expected to monitor players based on their gaming behaviour, and any deviations from this should be flagged.

The KSA has also called for greater observation of players in land based venues, including monitoring how often players come to play at a particular arcade or casino. Operators are also encouraged to enter a dialogue with a player if their behaviour changes rapidly, keeping a record of all interactions.

The KSA also has the authority to ban a player from betting for six months if an operator requests that the regulator steps in and registers them with Cruks.

The problem gambling support service Loket Kansspel also launches on 1 Octover, offering day and night help to those who need it.