Videoslots to fight record €10m fine from Dutch regulator

Videoslots has vowed to contest the largest fine issued in the history of the Dutch regulator as the KSA prepares to enforce a €9.87m penalty on the operator.

The KSA claims Videoslots violated the Dutch Gaming Act for several reasons as outlined below. The fine was made more severe after the regulator’s logo briefly appeared on its website in April 2022 while the firm was preparing to apply for a licence. This was deemed an aggravating factor, by the KSA.

After spotting the logo, the KSA tried to sign up to the site as a Dutch customer.

This attempt failed, Videoslots alleges, before the regulator eventually gained access by acting as a German consumer instead.

The KSA was able to make a deposit and reportedly placed a single bet of €0.20.

The regulator, which has significantly ramped up enforcement action this year, has now issued a fine of nearly €10m, the largest sanction in its history and by some distance.

The fine has not yet been officially communicated by the KSA, but iGaming NEXT has reached out for comment.

Videoslots deputy CEO Ulle Skottling: “It is simply not possible to protect fully against unauthorised access, and the KSA has no guidelines on what measures are sufficient.”

iGaming NEXT understands the decision is likely to be announced at around 10am CET.

Videoslots denies the allegations and has objected to the fine, describing the regulator’s actions as “unlawful” in the process.

Further, Videoslots insists it is not bound by the Dutch Gaming Act because it does not target Dutch customers and restricted access to consumers in the country after implementing further prevention measures.

Videoslots, which is based in Malta, does not have a Dutch licence, but it licensed in several European markets including Malta, Sweden, Italy and the UK.

Ulle Skottling, deputy CEO at Videoslots, was adamant that no Dutch players were able to access the website and that there was no violation as a result.

“It is absurd that the KSA should fine us after gaining unauthorised access,” he said. “It is simply not possible to protect fully against unauthorised access, and the KSA has no guidelines on what measures are sufficient.

“Furthermore, there was no demonstrable damage, and the interests of Dutch consumers were never compromised at any point.”

Skottling went on to suggest the fine had no sense of proportionality.

He added: “Videoslots takes its legal and regulatory obligations extremely seriously, but we dispute the KSA’s actions and conclusions, which we believe are unlawful.

“We are confident of a positive outcome in this case.”

More to follow…