KSA Fines Alleged Illegal Gambling Operator €37 Million

The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands’ gambling regulator, has issued its largest fine to date, amounting to €37 million, against EOD Code SRL for allegedly operating illegal gambling websites. This penalty is the largest the watchdog has meted out, surpassing the previous record of €24,846,000 issued against Novatech.

The KSA alleges that EOD Code SRL is behind 11 websites, including Instantcasino and Skyhills. These websites were accessible to Dutch IPs and had no visible age restrictions. The KSA specifically listed 11 websites as offenders and breaching gambling laws in the country: SkyHills, Slotmonster, Betiro, Betblast, Fastslots, Goldenpanda, Sambaslots, Winningz, Incognitocasino, Foxygold, and Luckypays.

The websites purposefully allowed cryptocurrency play, a payment method that is associated with money laundering. The KSA estimated that Dutch customers constituted a significant part of EOD Code's revenue stream. The KSA’s enforcement methods may be limited, depending on where a company is based. The KSA has other means to at least try to hamper these websites from targeting Dutch people based in the country through collaboration with payment methods and ordering blocks. The regulator may also turn to hosting providers to further request blocking orders.