Dutch regulator cracks down on payment provider

The Netherlands’ gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has said it will continue to crack down on any firms infringing the country’s Gaming Act after winning an appeal against a payment provider charged with targeting Netherlands-based players.

In a statement, the KSA said it had determined that payments provider CURO Payments BV was providing payment services to an unlicensed operator and was therefore in violation of the Gaming Act.

“The Gambling Authority has successfully enforced the law in the recent past against various payment service providers who have offered their services to operators of illegal gambling sites,” the KSA said.

CURO had appealed against the verdict but has had its objection refused, and eGaming Review understands it now faces a ?10,000-a-day fine until it complies by terminating services.

It was found guilty of supplying payment provision to Cura?§ao-based operators Redcorp SA and Bluemay Enterprises NV, which were last year issued record ?240,000 fines by the KSA for targeting players in the Netherlands without a Dutch licence.

The Netherlands is currently undergoing a re-regulation process, and operators were dealt a blow last month when the Dutch parliament submitted plans for a 29% uniform tax rate across online and land-based, abandoning earlier proposals for a special 20% online rate.