Frank Kruit ends his fight against the ‘gambling mafia’: “It’s a lost cause”  

For years, SEO and iGaming expert Frank Kruit has been sounding the alarm about the activities of illegal gambling affiliates in the Netherlands. Via LinkedIn, he regularly exposed abuses and highlighted websites which, in his view, redirect players to illegal gambling operators. But after years of warnings, reports and investigations, Kruit has now concluded that his efforts are yielding hardly any results.  

According to Kruit, insufficient action is being taken against those profiting from illegal online gambling. In doing so, he criticises not only the affiliates involved, but also the government and the Kansspelautoriteit, which, in his view, are failing to act on the warnings that he and others have been issuing for years.  

Attempts to hack his LinkedIn account  

The reason for his decision to step back appears to lie partly in a series of incidents involving his LinkedIn account. According to Kruit, several attempts have been made to gain access to his profile.  

“It was no coincidence,” Kruit writes on LinkedIn. “The gambling mafia has made several attempts to hack into my LinkedIn profile. Various emails in my inbox confirm contact between customer service and the member of the gambling mafia who wants to silence me.” 

According to Kruit, he recently received a notification of a password reset, even though he hadn’t requested it himself. Although he can still access his account and his mailbox is well secured, he sees these events as a further indication of the resistance he is facing.  

“It clearly shows that the gambling mafia didn’t get this name from me for nothing. They’re crooks. Should my LinkedIn account disappear, you’ll know why.”  

“I see no results”  

The main reason for his withdrawal, however, is the lack of visible results.  

When asked why his posts about the so-called gambling mafia have disappeared, Kruit replies that he simply sees no effect from his efforts.  

“I’m not seeing any results. Of all the Dutch domains I’ve reported, only a few have been taken offline. The most important domains are still listed on Google.”  

He refers, amongst other things, to websites which he claims are known to redirect traffic to illegal gambling operators. Despite reports, Kruit says these remain visible and accessible to Dutch players.  

According to the SEO specialist, he would still be willing to accept the risks he faces if real progress were actually being made. But, he says, that progress is failing to materialise.  

“There are risks involved, and I get warnings from the industry often enough. ‘Frank, watch your step. There are criminals behind those sites.’” 

A voice crying in the wilderness  

Within the Dutch gambling sector, various stakeholders have expressed their appreciation for the work Kruit has carried out in recent years. At the same time, there is growing criticism that he has, in fact, remained a voice crying in the wilderness.  

Despite growing attention being paid to illegal gambling sites, affiliates and comparison platforms that direct players towards unlicensed operators, many of these websites still appear to be active. This is causing frustration amongst both legal operators and experts who warn of the risks posed by the black market.  

Belgium is also grappling with illegal affiliates  

The problem is not confined to the Netherlands. In Belgium, too, players are exposed on a daily basis to websites, comparison platforms and affiliates that promote illegal gambling providers.  

For Belgian players, the risks are considerable. Anyone who ends up with an unlicensed operator falls outside the protection of the Belgian Gaming Commission. There are often no or only limited checks on age verification, responsible gambling, deposit limits or the security of payouts.  

Furthermore, many of these websites look professional and rank highly in search engines, meaning consumers often do not realise they are being redirected to illegal operators.  

The fight against illegal operators remains a challenge 

Frank Kruit’s story illustrates just how difficult the fight against illegal gambling networks can be. Whilst regulators, industry bodies and licence holders talk about consumer protection, illegal operators and their marketing partners continue to find new ways to reach players.  

It remains to be seen whether Kruit will step down permanently from his role as a critic of the illegal gambling industry. For the time being, however, the Dutch SEO expert appears to have come to the conclusion that the fight against what he calls the ‘gambling mafia’ requires more energy than it yields results.  

A conclusion which, according to many market experts, lays bare an uncomfortable reality not only for the Netherlands, but also for Belgium.