Kansspelautoriteit Enforcement: Sanctions for Foreign Sites

The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) is cracking down on foreign gambling sites operating without a Dutch license. The regulator imposes hefty fines and periodic penalty payments on illegal providers and their partners, such as affiliates and payment service providers. For players, gambling on these sites is not punishable, but they lack consumer protection, have no right to assistance in disputes, and run a tax risk.

Sancties en handhavingsinstrumenten tegen illegale aanbieders

The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) enforces the Remote Gambling Act by actively taking action against illegal providers targeting Dutch players without a license. The regulator focuses on heavy financial sanctions, such as high fines and an administrative order subject to a penalty payment, to quickly terminate the activities of foreign sites and protect consumers. It is important to distinguish between administrative enforcement by the Ksa and criminal enforcement. The Ksa imposes administrative sanctions. In case of serious, structural violations, however, the Public Prosecution Service may proceed with criminal prosecution, although the focus is primarily on the administrative track for efficient market correction.

How high are the fines for foreign casinos?

The financial consequences for operators violating Dutch law can be significant. The Ksa often imposes fines that run into several million euros, depending on the severity and duration of the violation. A concrete example is the sanction against LCS Limited; this entity was fined 2.074.000 euros for offering online games of chance without the required license to players in the Netherlands. Blue High House S.A. was also previously targeted for similar practices. These measures show that the Ksa does not hesitate to hand out severe sanctions to illegal providers who do not comply with the rules of the Remote Gambling Act. For players themselves, there are no direct criminal sanctions, but they do run financial risks due to the lack of consumer protection on these sites.

Operation of the order subject to a periodic penalty payment

In addition to one-off fines, the Kansspelautoriteit uses an administrative order subject to a penalty payment. This instrument differs fundamentally from a regular fine: it is a coercive measure that continues to accumulate as long as the violation persists. The amount is often linked to the estimated gross gaming revenue of the site from Dutch visitors and the costs a legal license holder would bear. By directly hitting the ongoing revenue stream of illegal providers, the Ksa forces a quick cessation of activities. If a company, like Savant recently, does not respond to warnings or take measures to block Dutch players, the penalty payment can quickly accumulate to a substantial amount.

Prioritization of enforcement investigations

The Ksa selects which foreign sites receive priority in enforcement investigations based on specific risk criteria. Central to this are the number of Dutch players using the site and the potential danger to vulnerable groups, such as minors and young adults. To support this process, the authority is increasingly using Artificial Intelligence to automatically scan the web for illegal activities and advertisements. In addition, the Ksa works with partners such as Google, Meta, and payment service providers to quickly pick up signals about illegal providers and their promoters. This targeted approach ensures that resources are deployed where the damage to the Dutch market is greatest.

The network approach: addressing promoters and partners

The Kansspelautoriteit's enforcement of foreign sites does not focus solely on the licensees, but on the entire ecosystem. By cooperating with tech giants and payment service providers, and by tackling promoters, the regulator attempts to cut off illegal cash flows and visibility. Addressing the entire network is necessary because blocking a single domain does not stop the operator.

Role of tech giants Google and Meta

Google and Meta actively block illegal advertisements. The Kansspelautoriteit works structurally with these platforms to block advertisements for unlicensed providers and remove apps from stores. This cooperation limits the discoverability of illegal casinos that would otherwise reach Dutch players via search engines or social media. Without these digital blocks, the offer remains too visible to consumers. In addition to these tech giants, the Advertising Code Committee (Reclame Code Commissie) also plays a role in the self-regulation of advertising, although the Ksa is the primary enforcer for illegal offers. The Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) also supervises unfair commercial practices, which sometimes overlaps with misleading advertising from illegal providers.

Tackling affiliate marketers and influencers

Intermediaries play a vital role in directing traffic to illegal sites. Affiliate marketing is closely monitored by the Ksa, as affiliates and influencers can be held legally liable as promoters. They are guilty of facilitating illegal offers by placing links to sites without a Dutch license. The regulator emphasizes that not only the casino but also the promoter is responsible for complying with the law. This means that influencers risk high fines when they enter into partnerships with illegal operators.

Blockades via payment service providers

Financial blocking is a second pillar of enforcement. The Ksa works intensively with payment service providers, including banks and providers of services such as iDEAL and Trustly, to refuse transactions to illegal providers. By cutting off these cash flows, it becomes more difficult for foreign sites to pay out winnings or accept deposits. Although some players switch to crypto to bypass these blocks, the traditional banking infrastructure remains an important barrier for most consumers.

Legal position of the player and consumer protection

With Kansspelautoriteit enforcement of foreign sites, the focus is primarily on punishing illegal providers, not the individual player. Although players do not risk direct fines, their right to consumer protection is forfeited. This means that winnings are not guaranteed and disputes fall outside the Dutch legal system, which entails financial risks.

Is playing at foreign sites punishable?

The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) imposes severe sanctions on operators active without a license, but individual Dutch citizens do not face criminal risks for participating. The law focuses on the supply, not the demand. However, this impunity offers no safety: in the event of fraud or refusal to pay out, the Ksa cannot intervene. Players are on their own, dependent on the integrity of a party that knowingly ignores Dutch law.

Risks for vulnerable groups and addiction

Illegal platforms pose an acute danger to vulnerable groups, such as minors and young adults, because age verification and monitoring of playing behavior are lacking. Without a mandatory duty of care, the risk of gambling addiction increases significantly. Organizations such as Stichting Speel Verantwoord (Play Responsibly Foundation) warn that these sites have no link to support programs, meaning signs of problematic gambling behavior go unnoticed. The absence of consumer protection means that players cannot call upon national helplines or intermediaries in case of escalation.

cruks">Lack of connection to CRUKS

A critical flaw is the lack of connection to CRUKS (Central Register Exclusion Games of Chance). With legal providers, registration in CRUKS leads to direct denial of access on all licensed sites, an essential tool against addiction. Foreign sites completely ignore this register. A player who has self-excluded via Stichting Speel Verantwoord or CRUKS can therefore continue to play unhindered on illegal platforms. This gap undermines the effectiveness of self-exclusion and blocks the path to recovery, as gambling addiction is facilitated rather than contained.

Technological blockade and international cooperation

The Kansspelautoriteit's enforcement of foreign sites focuses on a combination of technical ISP blocks, data-driven monitoring, and cross-border cooperation. Since the Ksa's jurisdiction stops at the national border, these instruments are crucial for reaching illegal providers operating from within the EU/EEA area or beyond.

Effectiveness of ISP blockades and hosting providers

Internet service provider (ISP) blocks form a first line of defense, but are not technically foolproof. The Ksa works with internet providers to restrict access to illegal domains, but players often bypass these filters via VPNs or alternative DNS settings. In addition, SIDN (Foundation for Internet Domain Registration in the Netherlands) plays a role in managing .nl domains. Although many illegal sites use foreign extensions, SIDN can act against abuse of Dutch domain names. Hosting providers are also increasingly being targeted to take down servers hosting illegal gambling platforms, which is a more effective technical intervention than just a DNS block.

Cooperation with foreign regulators

International alliances are essential because many illegal casinos hide behind licenses from jurisdictions such as Curacao eGaming or the Malta Gaming Authority. Although a license from the Malta Gaming Authority within the EU/EEA framework offers strong consumer protection, this does not grant automatic access to the Dutch market. The Ksa notes that providers with a Curacao eGaming license are often less transparent about ownership structures, which complicates enforcement. By cooperating with foreign regulators, the Ksa tries to exert pressure on these licensing bodies to bind their holders to Dutch regulations.

Tax aspects and the Tax Authority

Players must be aware of the role of the Tax Authority (Belastingdienst). Winnings obtained from legal, licensed providers in the Netherlands are tax-free for the player. With illegal foreign sites, this certainty does not exist. Although the chance is small that the Tax Authority will trace individual small winnings, there is no legal exemption for winnings from illegal offers. This creates an extra layer of uncertainty and potential tax liability for the player.

Use of AI and data analysis

To manage the scale of illegal offers, the Ksa is increasingly deploying Artificial Intelligence for monitoring and detection. Artificial Intelligence helps analyze large datasets to identify patterns in advertisements and network traffic faster than is manually possible. This technology enables the regulator to proactively detect new illegal domains trying to bypass the ISP block before they reach large groups of players.

About This Article - Editorial Standards

Author: Sarah Weber — Casino Tester & Bonus Analyst • Factually reviewed by: Dr. Markus Hoffmann — Senior iGaming Compliance Analyst • Last updated: 2026-08-12.

This article on "kansspelautoriteit handhaving buitenlandse sites" was written by Sarah Weber and factually reviewed by Dr. Markus Hoffmann. Both regularly update the content for changes in regulation, licensing and bonus terms. All references to licences, regulators and statutes link to public sources (the local gambling regulator, the applicable local gambling statute).

About the Author

8+ years reviewing casinos, 200+ personally tested platforms across the EU and globally. Former member of the eCOGRA Player Advocacy Program (2018-2022). Specialty: wagering requirements, withdrawal workflows, customer-support evaluation.

About the Reviewer

12+ years in the iGaming industry, including 5 years as a compliance consultant for licensed operators across multiple regulated markets. PhD in Economic Mathematics. Focus areas: bonus mathematics, wagering analysis, and player-protection systems.

Responsible Gambling

Gambling can be addictive. If you feel you are losing control of your play, please reach out to the relevant problem-gambling helpline or use the national self-exclusion register (the relevant national self-exclusion register). Set personal deposit and loss limits BEFORE you play with real money. Operator pauses and cooldown tools exist to keep play sustainable.

Legal Notice

The information in this article is provided for editorial and comparison purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Players are responsible for compliance with local regulations.