The Netherlands Gaming Authority (KSA) was forced to intervene over three breaches of the country’s Gambling Act in the lead up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Two operators were held accountable for offering “prohibited bets” after pricing up a yellow card market for the tournament.

Betting on red and yellow cards is prohibited under Dutch legislation because these types of bets are particularly sensitive to match-fixing, in the eyes of the regulator.

Another unnamed operator violated the recent ban on the use of role models in gambling advertising by using “well known” Dutch people to promote an event, which also showcased the logo of the gambling provider in question.

The KSA imposed a warning on 14 November and said the company would be subject to periodic penalty payments if the activity continued. This was duly noted by the operator and no further action was deemed necessary.

Finally, a third offence was discovered where an offshore gambling company was offering a lottery prize of €2.5m. The operator was not licensed in the Netherlands, and therefore is not legally allowed to offer games of chance to Dutch consumers.

The KSA said it would be extra vigilant in enforcing laws and regulations throughout the duration of the World Cup, which is expected to become the biggest betting event of the year.

In October, KSA chair René Jansen called upon the country’s gambling sector to moderate its levels of advertising around the tournament.

He warned: “A new tidal wave of advertising would mean an extra blow to the image of the sector and perhaps the prelude to even more far-reaching regulation of what is allowed in the field of advertising.”

The Netherlands began their World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Senegal on 21 November.

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