KSA slaps two illegal operators with fines as clampdown continues
Equinox Dynamic and Domiseda and Partners reprimanded with €900,000 penalties over unlicensed offerings
The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has handed out fines to Equinox Dynamic and Domiseda and Partners for a combined €1.8m (£1.59m) for illegal operating in the Netherlands.
Equinox Dynamic, based in Curaçao, and Domiseda and Partners, based in Slovakia, were both penalised €900,000 after the regulator found them to be behind the Orient Xpress Casino site.
Equinox is licensed in Curaçao, and according to the KSA, counts Domiseda as its payments solutions provider for the site.
The KSA said the pair had “knowingly cooperated in committing the violation and jointly committed the violation”.
Following an investigation by the KSA, the regulator established several transgressions against Dutch legislation committed by the pair.
The Orient Xpress Casino site was accessible from a Dutch IP address, while age verification processes were not adhered to.
Additionally, the website was available in English and the live customer support chat was available in Dutch. The site also accepted deposits in euros.
René Jansen, KSA chairman, said: “The objective is to create a safe environment for people who want to gamble online. This includes taking strict action against illegal providers.”
This action comes days after the regulator issued a fine of €350,000 to Bingoal for failing to provide Dutch players with the ability to self-exclude from its site for a three-day period in June 2022.
KSA investigators found that the Belgium-based firm operated without access to the Dutch self-exclusion register Cruks (Central Register of Exclusions for Games of Chance) after its PKI (PKIoverheid) certificate expired.
Cruks launched in October 2021 and, in August 2022, announced over 20,000 players had signed up to the self-exclusion register.
Both of these actions may form part of the seven fines the KSA announced it had issued at the back end of 2022.
The regulator stated that it had issued fines totalling more than €25m against seven unlicensed operators for illegally offering online gambling in the country.