The Ksa has just imposed an injunction under penalty payment on Casinoscout.nl for promoting illegal casinos. The fine amounts to €75,000 per week.
The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gaming regulator, has announced that it has imposed an injunction under penalty notice on three companies: SBM Holding Group, Sun Block Media Labs 2.0 Ltd, and JEF Holdings Ltd. These entities, all linked to the Casinoscout.nl website, risk a weekly fine of €75,000 each, up to a maximum of €225,000, if they continue to promote illegal casinos.
From a compliant site to a black market player
Long renowned for its compliance, Casinoscout.nl attracted the wrath of the Dutch regulator at the beginning of 2025, following a change of ownership. Whereas the site used to limit itself to promoting legal offers, it has gradually shifted towards promoting unauthorised casinos, in flagrant breach of the law on games of chance.
It is essential to remember that advertising for unlicensed operators is strictly prohibited in the Netherlands, as is their access to the market. This dual prohibition is at the heart of the channelling policy implemented since the regulated legalisation of the sector in 2021.
Firm response from the regulator: offline status and penalty payment
Faced with this aberration, the Ksa was quick to react. An initial formal notice was sent, accompanied by an explicit warning: if the illegal advertising did not stop, a financial penalty would be imposed. With no response from the owners, the Ksa then referred the matter to the Stichting Internet Domeinregistratie Nederland (SIDN) to have the domain name suspended.
The manoeuvre was temporarily successful: the site became inaccessible, and an IP block was put in place to prevent access from the Netherlands. However, these measures were not enough to stop the illegal activity. Shortly afterwards, content promoting unauthorised operators reappeared, prompting the Ksa to shut the site down for good.
A wider network than Casinoscout.nl
The case does not end there. In the course of their investigation, Ksa inspectors identified a direct link to the besteonlinecasinonederland.com website, also owned by the three sanctioned entities. This second site also carried advertising for illegal casinos, reinforcing the idea of a deliberate circumvention strategy.
Faced with this repeat offence, the Ksa has extended its coercive measures to all the platforms controlled by the offenders. The aim is clear: to force these players to cease all illegal promotion activity on Dutch territory.
An affair that could set a precedent
The Casinoscout.nl case could set an important precedent in the fight against fraudulent affiliates, particularly those operating via complex offshore structures. The Dutch regulator, like its counterparts in Europe, is faced with a proliferation of transnational networks, often based in Malta, Cyprus or non-European jurisdictions.