Circus.nl targeted by the KSA for prohibited advertising in Tiny Tower
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10 May 2025 •
Reading time: 2 minutes The KSA recently warned Betca, the operator of the online gaming site Circus.nl, for displaying a prohibited ad in the mobile game Tiny Tower.
An advertisement for Circus.nl in a mobile game
The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling regulator, has just warned Betca, the company operating the online casino Circus.nl, after discovering prohibited advertisements in a mobile game. Indeed, promotional banners for Circus.nl were visible in the Tiny Tower game, which is not related to the gambling sector. This immediately raised concerns with the regulator. A violation of advertising regulations
Dutch regulations are very clear: all gambling advertising is strictly prohibited in non-gambling environments, such as mobile games or general entertainment sites. This ban aims to protect vulnerable audiences, particularly minors and young adults, who make up a significant portion of these platforms’ audiences.
By running an advertisement on Tiny Tower, Betca violated this essential rule. The KSA therefore quickly contacted the operator to inform them and demand immediate corrective action.
A human error according to Betca
Betca acknowledged the error and explained that the appearance of this advertisement on Tiny Tower was the result of human error. The company claims that the advertising campaign only targeted people who had visited Circus.nl and declared themselves over 24 years old.
Despite this justification, Betca immediately removed the offending advertisement. The operator also assured that it had implemented additional preventive measures to prevent such an incident from recurring in the future.
No Penalty, but Increased Surveillance
Taking into account Betca’s rapid response and the accidental nature of the violation, the KSA decided not to impose a penalty. However, the regulator specified that it would remain particularly vigilant regarding the operator’s future advertising campaigns.