Three gambling companies reprimanded for unauthorized advertising
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10 Nov 2024 •
Reading time: 3 minutes The Dutch Gaming Authority (Ksa) has summoned three gambling companies to account. This is because they did not comply with the new rules on sponsorship. Since July 1, 2024, it has been prohibited for online gambling companies to advertise through sponsorship of events, TV programs and radio programs. However, there are still companies that try to circumvent the rules and the Gaming Authority is keeping a close eye on them.
The result? These companies received a clear warning and had to adjust their advertising immediately. This is not a one-off action: the Gaming Authority continuously monitors the online gambling market in the Netherlands to quickly detect violations, especially now that the rules have been tightened.
Three different ways in which it went wrong
In each of the three cases, it came down to the gambling company’s logo remaining visible, even though this was no longer allowed. Often there was a third party involved who ensured that the sponsorship was still visible.
The first violation involved a major national event. Although the sponsorship contract had ended before the new law, the organizer continued to promote the gambling company’s logo. After a warning from the Gaming Authority, the organizer fortunately removed the logo immediately.
A second company was involved in sponsoring a sporting event, something that is still allowed until July 2025. But a problem arose when children and young people visited the sports location for their own activity. They saw the gambling company’s advertising there, while these should actually only be visible during the sporting event itself.
Stick to the rules
The Gaming Authority finds it particularly reprehensible that vulnerable groups, such as young people, were shown this advertising. The gambling company was told that they are responsible for the visibility of their brand and that they must adhere to the rules.
The third error occurred in a sports webshop, where T-shirts of a well-known athlete with the logo of a gambling company were for sale. Because these shirts were also sold in children’s sizes, the Gaming Authority decided to intervene quickly. The company immediately removed the children’s sizes from sale.
Another recent example: gambling company targets young people via social media
This is not the only recent incident. Recently, another online gambling company had to pay a fine because they target young people via social media. With popular influencers and attractive slogans, they tried to attract young users. Something that is absolutely not allowed. The Gaming Authority quickly intervened and showed that they make no exceptions. Especially not when it comes to vulnerable groups.
The Gaming Authority keeps a close eye on the online gambling market to ensure that companies adhere to the rules. By acting consistently, they want to create a safe environment for everyone. In order to prevent young people from being tempted.