Bet365 fined €400,000 by Dutch regulator over marketing breaches
Dutch regulator flexes muscles once again as Hillside New Media reprimanded for advertising to 18-24-year-olds over five months between 2021 and 2022
The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has fined bet365 €400,000 (£354,135) for breaching rules around targeted advertising to young people.
The regulator was alerted to marketing emails sent to an 18-year-old via a report by Dutch television programme Kassa.
Kassa reported that the 18-year-old has been targeted with emails advertising gambling, as well as offering bonuses.
The KSA instigated an investigation into bet365 and other operators following the allegations.
Dutch regulations state that licensed operators are prohibited from sending promotional emails to players aged between 18 and 24.
The KSA found that between 26 October 2021 and 1 February 2022 bet365 sent “numerous promotional messages to several young adult players”.
Bet365 responded to the charge stating that the KSA had misinterpreted the regulations and that a blanket ban on advertising to the age group was admissible.
Bet365 said the regulations meant that marketing materials could not “focus” on the age group in terms of content. The operator contested that it had only sent “general” messages to those under the age of 24.
The operator appealed the decision, but the regulator rejected the arguments and the appeal and ordered bet365 to pay the fine.
The base fine amounted to €350,000, with the KSA adding an additional €50,000 due to the violation being “part of [bet365’s] business for a long time”.
The KSA said: “Vulnerable groups, such as young adults, must be given extra protection. The brains of young people are still developing. As a result, they are extra vulnerable to developing a gambling addiction.
“Gaming providers must fully respect the rules intended to protect vulnerable groups. That did not happen here and therefore we issued this fine.”
The latest regulatory action comes after the KSA announced the five operators caught up in its €26m fine package.
The highest of these fines, €12.6m, was issued to N1 Interactive for offering its services to Dutch players without a licence.