Dutch regulator goes clamps down on AML while self-exclusions hit 100k

The Dutch Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) gambling regulator has cautioned the market that “there is still room for improvement’ regarding adherence to anti-money laundering duties.

After an investigation into three unnamed licensed gaming companies, the KSA determined that all three had violated the terms of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Prevention) Act (Wwft).

Under the Wwft, licensed gaming firms – which hold Dutch licences under the October 2021 KOA Act regulatory regime – are required to monitor player transactions and report unusual transactions to the country’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

After assessing documents such as player files, internal documents on Wwft policy and risk assessments, it seems that the KSA was not satisfied that the three companies in question were meeting these requirements.

The regulator signed off its latest statement with a warning – it has cautioned over licence holders in the Dutch marketplace that subsequent inspections reveal further failures to adhere to AML standards, more severe sanctions like penalties or fines may be imposed.

Dutch gambling feels the pressure

The KSA’s revelation comes amid rising political pressure on the country’s betting and gaming industry, which has grown exponentially since re-regulation in October 2021 under the aforementioned KOA Act.

An initial marketplace of 10 licence holders has since grown to more than 30, and KSA reprimands and at times penalisation of operators for breaching conditions around AML, player protection or advertising are not uncommon.

Advertising in particular has become a contentious issue, with a total ban on sponsorships coming into play in July this year, following on from a ban on the use of ‘role models’ in advertising in 2023.

Many policymakers were concerned that a ‘bombardment’ of advertising in the years after market launch was having negative societal impacts. Figures from the national self-exclusion register, CRUKS, may have partly contributed to this view.

The latest figures, as revealed by CasinoNieuws.nl, show that more than 100,000 people have now self-excluded from the Dutch market. This includes a rising number of people opting for long-term self-exclusion instead of the shortest possible period possible, six months.

Though political pressure on the Dutch market may have temporarily paused ahead of the general election scheduled in October, politicians seem firmly committed to overseeing regulatory reforms, with a particular focus on preventing consumers aged-24 and under from compulsive gambling.

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