The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) has struck a blow. It has just imposed a fine of €2.65 million on Betent (the company operating BetCity) for failing in its duty to protect players.
How the Ksa came to fine Betent
It all started with some worrying signals: several young players (aged between 18 and 24) had lost extremely large amounts of money in a short space of time, often overnight. The Ksa, alerted by these cases, decided to open a targeted investigation.
As part of the investigation, ten cases of players who had suffered major losses were selected for in-depth examination. In each of these cases, the Ksa identified clear failings. For example, one of the players, aged 23, had lost €80,000 in one year, without adequate protection measures.
The regulator’s conclusion is implacable: BetCity (via Betent) did not effectively analyse the risks of excessive gambling or respond in time to warning signals, thereby failing to comply with the legal obligations imposed on gambling operators.
The Ksa insists that operators must not only monitor gambling behaviour, but also actively intervene. However, according to the regulator, Betent has failed on several fronts:
- absence or delay in reacting to excessive behaviour;
- sending simple warnings by e-mail without any personal contact;
- failure to adapt gaming limits or to interrupt them proactively.
Betent’s response
Betent did not remain silent in the face of this impressive sanction. The company formally contested the merits of the ruling, putting forward several arguments in its defence.
Firstly, Betent argues that during the period in question (from 8 October 2021 to 30 March 2023), the standards surrounding the duty of care were not clearly defined. The group claims that the Ksa interpreted vague normative principles too expansively.
Secondly, the operator claims to have already put in place adequate intervention measures, including warnings and alerts, and refutes the accusation that it did not make personal contact. Betent argues that it would have been wrong to treat all players identically without considering their individual characteristics.
The company also points to a double penalty effect: in November 2023, Betent was fined again for breaches of the law on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism (Wwft). According to Betent, there was an overlap between the two cases in terms of monitoring and analysis obligations.
Despite these objections, all Betent’s internal appeals were rejected. On 5 August 2025, the Ksa objections committee validated the fine and rejected the company’s arguments, which are now being appealed before the competent court.
This penalty of €2.65 million does not come in a vacuum. It is one of a series of decisions already handed down by the Ksa against Betent (or BetCity) for related offences. In April 2023, BetCity was fined €400,000 for targeting young adults with prohibited promotional emails. Then in July 2024, it was fined a further €3 million for deficiencies in verifying the origin of funds and reporting suspicious transactions.
These antecedents reinforce the regulator’s position: Betent is already in the crosshairs, and its cumulative failings point to a pattern of structural negligence.