The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling regulator, has recently taken action against an illegal bingo operation in Dordrecht, a city near Rotterdam. This same organization had previously been targeted by the KSA for hosting events that attracted hundreds of people, including minors. The operation, known as “Dordtse Queens,” had been advertising their illegal bingo events on Facebook. After the KSA contacted Facebook’s parent company, Meta, the pages advertising the events were taken down. However, further investigation revealed that the organization continued to advertise and host illegal bingo games on other pages.
The KSA’s inspectors were able to identify the location of a planned physical bingo event in Dordrecht and carried out a raid at the premises, where approximately 200 people were in attendance. Prizes such as branded clothing, bags, and shoes were confiscated during the raid. In the Netherlands, bingo is only permitted under strict conditions, such as taking place within a closed circle of people who know each other, or in the case of associations organizing bingo for a good cause. Prizes can only have a maximum value of €1,550 and require a permit from the local municipality.
The KSA is cracking down on illegal gambling in the Dutch market, as evidenced by its recent actions. In another case, a company called MKC Limited was fined €900,000 for illegally offering gambling services in the Netherlands through its unlicensed Betworld247 site. Dutch residents were able to play at the site, despite the lack of a proper license. The KSA found that no technical measures had been taken to prevent Dutch participants from accessing the site, which is a violation of the Dutch Betting and Gaming Act that requires all operators to be locally licensed. As a result of its illegal activities, MKC also had its Maltese license revoked earlier this year.
The KSA is sending a clear message that illegal gambling will not be tolerated in the Netherlands, and those who flout the regulations will face significant fines and other consequences.