The latest news from the Casino world!
Gambling club casino news kansspelautoriteit

Ksa warns 3 online casinos under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act 

Three online casinos have received a warning from the Ksa under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act (Wwft). The reason is that three providers allegedly failed to comply with the guidelines within this legal framework.

This has been revealed by an investigation. They are therefore urgently requested to put an end to these violations. 

The Ksa notes that there are still areas for improvement on a larger scale in the area of the Wwft and therefore calls for increased vigilance among providers.

What does Wwft stand for?

The Wwft stands for “Wet ter voorkoming van Witwassen en Financieren van Terrorisme”. In the Netherlands, casinos are required to comply with the rules laid down in the Wwft to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. This doesn’t just apply to casinos, by the way. Banks, lawyers, notaries, and real estate agents are also expected to report suspicious transactions.

At the Ksa, the Wwft is a key priority, and they make it their business to prevent criminals from laundering money and/or using that money to carry out terrorist activities.

Therefore, casinos must know who their customers are, and every suspicious transaction must be reported to the Dutch Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) for further investigation. In Belgium, we have a similar law with the same objectives. 

Extensive research conducted by the Ksa 

The Ksa conducted a thorough investigation into the Wwft compliance of three gambling providers. The regulator requested various documents from them, including player files, risk assessments, and internal documents on Wwft policy.

Their investigation revealed several violations. These providers were warned and are required to adhere to the Wwft guidelines.

The violations must be stopped and if a re-inspection reveals that providers have not taken their responsibility, a more severe sanction may follow, such as a penalty payment order or fine.

What kind of content does the Ksa publish?

The Wwft regulations stipulate that warnings may only be published once they are final. The Ksa does officially announce that these warnings have been issued, because as a supervisory authority, it believes that providers’ compliance with the Wwft could be improved and therefore calls for optimization.

They don’t see optimizing this follow-up as a new development, as the Ksa organized a Wwft webinar at the end of 2024, explaining the legal standard and best practices. Moreover, the Wwft Guidelines were updated at the end of 2023 based on their own research, feedback received from consumers, and suggestions from providers.

Where does the Ksa see areas for improvement?

The Ksa sees areas for improvement where providers currently often do not conduct sufficient in-depth research into the source of their players’ financial resources.

The Ksa also notes shortcomings in the way players are classified based on risk profiles and that the subsequent measures do not always align well with these classifications.

An insufficiently substantiated investigation would not only result in potential criminal activities remaining undetected, but also in vulnerable players at risk of addiction

That is why the Ksa prefers to communicate openly about this with the aim of creating an even safer playing environment.

 | 

Nathalie has been working in the following sectors for many years: Media, marketing and (casino) gaming. Also abroad. In the casino sector she even gained experience in Gibraltar.

She also has a passion for writing, inventing, inventors, history, art and innovation. She likes to share fun facts with her readers and combine all her passions to present you with fun articles and topics. Because the casino sector also brought forward many inventors, creators and a lot has also happened historically over the years. How has the casino sector been able to evolve into what we know today? This also interests Nathalie very much. Just like the rules of the game and how (casino) games are created.

Recommended

Chairman of gambling addiction prevention organization SLICKS criticizes Cruks register 

FDJ United sells Trannel in a hurry: scandal revealed

Ksa demands total control over online operators