Techno Offshore faces €1.2 million Dutch fine over illegal activity
KSA said Techno Offshore was illegally offering games of chance to Dutch players through the websites without the relevant licence. Operators can only offer online gambling in the Netherlands after securing approval from the regulator.
Detailing the charge yesterday (9 April), KSA said Techno Offshore did not take the sufficient measures to block Dutch players. The regulator also flagged the operator for not checking players’ ages upon registering and for running prohibited features including autoplay.
Setting out the charge in full, KSA said it first investigated Techno Offshore in April last year. It established the operator was based in the British Virgin Islands and hold a licence from the Kahnawake Gaming Commission for the two websites.
At the time, KSA said Simplecasino.com was offering both online casino and sports betting in the Netherlands without a licence. It also said customers could register as a Dutch national, despite the site not being approved.
Another KSA-led investigation in June 2024 looked at Nolimitbet.com and Simplecasino.com. Again, it found both were operating in the county without the relevant licence, while no efforts were taken to block Dutch players.
Regulator takes action after warning to Techno Offshore
In the following month, KSA opted to impose a penalty payment order on Techno Offshore. The operator was told to cease and desist all activities in the country or face a hefty weekly penalty.
Further details of this were set out in November. KSA said the operator would be fined €280,000 (£239,959/$310,218), up to a maximum of €840,000.
In January, the regulator drew up an initial report detailing why it would be pursuing the penalty. Techno Offshore was given the opportunity to comment on this but, according to KSA, did not respond.
As to how it reached the final penalty sum, as opposed to the initial maximum fine, KSA said it considered several aggravating circumstances. This includes the type of games on offer and the availabilty of prohibited autoplay features.
These ultimately led to €600,000 being added, placing the total amount due at €1.2 million.
Regulator pledges “tough” action against wrongdoers
Commenting on the case, KSA board Michel Groothuizen said the regulator will continue its “tough” stance on illegal operators. He added those without a licence do not offer the same protection measures as approved websites.
“Licensed providers in the Netherlands must adhere to all kinds of rules to protect players from gambling addiction,” he said. “With illegal providers, we often see that no account is taken of the prevention of risky gambling behaviour. For example, not using age checks, allowing payments with crypto or a lack of playing limits.
“We take tough action against these types of parties, because they attract players to illegal offers and players are not sufficiently protected there.”