In an interview with SBCNews, Gaming1 spoke about illegal gambling in Belgium.
On 29 April 2025, the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gaming regulator, announced that it had imposed a fine on Chestoption Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada. The company, registered in Costa Rica, is accused of offering illegal online gambling to Dutch players via the vave.com, vave-luck.com and 65avev55.com websites.
In an industry where regulation is evolving at a breakneck pace, compliance has become a major challenge for online gaming operators. It is in this context that the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) announces a strategic partnership with Letzz, an innovative platform dedicated to regulatory compliance.
The United Kingdom is planning to merge the three current taxes on online gambling into a single Remote Betting & Gaming Duty in order to simplify the tax system.
For several months now, the Netherlands has been looking for ways to better regulate online gambling advertising. Google already claims to restrict these ads to operators approved by the Ksa, but despite billions of ads being removed by 2023, loopholes remain due to sophisticated techniques.
Starscream Limited has been fined by the Dutch Gaming Authority for illegally offering online gambling to Dutch players via several sites. The company faces a fine of €280,000 per week, up to a maximum of €840,000, if it does not cease its activities. This measure is intended to protect consumers and remind operators of the importance of complying with local legislation.
Brazil is strengthening its legislation against illegal online gambling advertising, with a bill introduced by MP Kim Kataguiri providing for penalties of up to eight years’ imprisonment, particularly where minors or vulnerable people are targeted.
The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) has fined Gamusoft LP for illegally offering games of chance to Dutch players via the csgofast.com website, without a licence and without geographical restrictions. A penalty payment of €280,000 per week, capped at €840,000, was imposed to force the company to cease its activities. This decision is part of the Ksa’s strategy to strictly regulate the online gaming market and protect consumers from the risks associated with unlicensed operators.
The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) has sanctioned 711 B.V. after it broadcast gambling advertisements targeting minors. The incident revealed flaws in the company’s advertising practices, and it has acknowledged its responsibility and taken corrective action. Although the company did not receive an immediate financial penalty, the Ksa stressed the importance of strict supervision and transparency in gambling advertising, particularly to protect young audiences from the associated risks.
In Germany, almost half of online gamblers are still using illegal gambling sites, despite the regulations due to be introduced in 2021. This black market deprives the State of significant revenue and exposes users to increased risks.
The Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gambling regulator, has fined an online gaming operator €734,000 for a serious breach of its duty of care, a legal obligation designed to protect players from excessive gambling. The operator allegedly allowed several vulnerable players to spend large sums of money without intervening, in clear breach of the rules in force since the sector was legalised in 2021.
In Belgium, betting operator Ladbrokes has been at the centre of a legal controversy after offering virtual betting without a clear legal framework. Initially authorised by the Gaming Commission (GC) in 2014, it was sanctioned in 2018 for continuing this activity after this authorisation was withdrawn.
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is examining a case between a German player and Lottoland, an online gaming operator based in Malta, concerning the reimbursement of gambling losses incurred on a platform that was unauthorised in Germany at the time of the events.
The Ksa is serious about intensifying the fight against illegal providers. Michel Groothuizen, who has been appointed chairman of the Board of the Kansspelautoriteit since July 1st last year, periodically writes a blog about what’s going on at the workplace. In this way, he illuminates the issue and outlines potential solutions to put an end to these illegal websites, as the number of illegal apps continues to rise.
On 9 April 2025, the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gambling regulator, announced on its website that it had formally taken Hotel Gaming Services B.V., the operator of the Circus Gran Casino slot machines, to task for failing to comply with a rule that has been in force since 2022 in its promotional campaigns.
A more intensive effort is needed to take down illegal apps. The Ksa (Dutch Gambling Authority) is fully committed to eliminating illegal gambling.
The Irish and UK gambling regulators have signed a landmark agreement to harmonise their efforts in regulating the sector, with the main aims of aligning regulations, protecting consumers and combating cross-border illegal activity.
