YouTube program Roddelpraat removes illegal gambling advertising
•
28 Aug 2024 •
Reading time: 3 minutes The popular YouTube program Roddelpraat has taken an episode offline that advertised an illegal online casino. The Gaming Authority Ksa issued the makers of the program several warnings. This ultimately led to the removal of the offending episode. The Ksa reports the news on its website.
The episode in question was published in early July. During the broadcast, presenters Jan Roos and Dennis Schouten advertised a gambling site that is not legal in the Netherlands. However, Schouten claimed that it was a legal gambling site. This later turned out to be incorrect. A week after the broadcast, the presenters announced that they had ended their collaboration with the illegal casino. Schouten stated that the sponsorship agreement was an “emergency measure”. To keep the program running. And that he had been misled about the legal status of the site.
The financial problems at Roddelpraat are said to have arisen after the previous sponsor withdrew. As a result, the makers had to look for alternative sources of income. This emergency measure led to the collaboration with the illegal casino.
Gaming Authority sounds the alarm
After the collaboration was terminated, the episode with the gambling commercial initially remained online. The first warning from the Gaming Authority resulted in Roddelpraat blurring the images of the gambling site, but the associated audio remained audible. This was not sufficient for the Ksa, after which a second, stricter warning followed. In this, the supervisor demanded that the video be completely removed, something that has now been complied with.
This is the first time that the Gaming Authority has succeeded in removing a video with gambling commercials from influencers from the internet. According to the Ksa, this is an important step, because influencers such as the presenters of Roddelpraat reach a large and young audience. According to the Ksa, young people and young adults are extra sensitive to this type of advertising. Which makes it all the more important to apply strict enforcement. Roddelpraat has a weekly reach of approximately 300,000 viewers. Which underlines the seriousness of the matter.
In a statement, the Gaming Authority announced that the makers of Roddelpraat could still be fined. Provided that they commit similar violations again in the future. The Ksa emphasizes that they will continue to strictly monitor compliance with the rules regarding gambling advertisements. Especially when it concerns influential media figures and platforms.
Roddelpraat’s future under pressure
With the recent controversy, the future of Roddelpraat is under pressure. The program has been involved in several incidents in a short period of time. Including receiving a fine of 2000 euros for insulting a neighbor of Schouten. This accumulation of problems raises questions about the sustainability and integrity of the program. Which increasingly seems to be moving in the gray area of ethics and regulations.