BlokDance faces €840,000 KSA fine over illegal gambling in the Netherlands

Netherlands gambling regulator De Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has warned BlokDance it could face a penalty of up to €840,000 (£697,955/$910,804) if it does not stop offering online gambling in the country.

A KSA-led investigation found BlokDance has been operating gambling in the Netherlands without the relevant licence. This, the regulator said, is classed as illegal and it could take further action.

BlockDance has been running illegal games of chance across two websites: bc.game and bcgame.lu. After initial contact, the operator blocked players from accessing the sites in the Netherlands.

However, upon reviewing the case, KSA said it appeared Dutch players were still able to access both websites. Consumers could still create an account, make deposits and play games of chance as no technical measures were taken to prevent participation.

Weekly penalty set at €280,000 for Blokdance
As such, KSA said it will proceed with financial penalties of up to €840,000 if BlokDance does not cease operations within four weeks of the order.

In this case, the regulator will issue a €280,000 penalty for each week it is still active in the Netherlands, up to the maximum fine amount.

“The Netherlands has a regulated gambling market to better protect players,” KSA said. “We therefore take tough action against illegal offers.

“With a penalty payment order, illegal offers are often quickly stopped,” KSA added. Providers can also be fined for the period in which the illegal offer was available

Calls for tougher black market monitoring in the Netherlands
The warning comes after several Dutch industry trade bodies called for greater monitoring of the black market. This was in the wake of new data from KSA suggesting lower-than-expected channelisation rates.

KSA states the current Dutch online gambling channelisation is at 95%. However, data on Dutch player spend and revenue suggests the rate is more likely at 87%, with consumers spending more on illegal sites.

The Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA) and Licensed Dutch Online Gambling Providers (VNLOK) are among those urging tougher monitoring.