Dutch gambling regulator reprimands 13 online operators for obstructing payouts to players

The Netherlands gambling authority, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has warned 13 online gambling providers against obstructing and delaying payouts to its customers. According to the KSA’s announcement, a study of online gambling license holders revealed that 13 operators placed illegal conditions on their payout processes. 

Nine of those operators have been informed to remove these conditions immediately while a further four operators are under suspicion. The four operators under suspicion have been requested to notify the KSA of their processes for payouts and if any conditions exist, to remove those conditions with immediate effect.

Payout rules prohibit conditions

Under the Remote Gambling Act, all gambling license holders in the Netherlands are obliged to fulfill any withdrawal requests from their customers within a reasonable timeframe and without any unnecessary delays. 

They must ensure the secure processing of payments and the distribution of player credits. The legislation mandates that at the moment the player requests credit, the licensee must debit the gaming account in the player’s favor.

There must be no conditions for completing this process. The KSA has also stated that there must be no minimum withdrawal amount or wagering requirements before a payout is issued.

KSA finds breaches in its systems

The regulator has implemented systems that trigger signals if a customer is experiencing any delays or difficulties when seeking payouts. These signals were triggered by nine gambling operators and informed the license holders of the issue. However, the KSA continued to receive signals that illegal conditions on payouts were in place and has now reprimanded the operators.

While no signals were received from the remaining four gambling operators, the KSA has requested that all thirteen providers confirm in writing that they do not use minimum amounts or wagering requirements when processing payouts.

There are currently 27 licensed online gambling operators in the country who combined to generate €1.39 billion in the 2023 calendar year, according to the latest Netherlands Gambling Statistics.

Earlier in July, KSA chairman Michel Groothuizen praised licensed operators for adhering to new requirements imposed by the regulator, particularly during this summer’s UEFA Euro 2024 tournament. 

He said the majority of licensed operators had followed the rules in place.
At the time, Groothuizen said: “We called on gambling operators to show their best side and, yes, they have shown it. But this did involve closely following laws and regulations. Almost no legal operators crossed the line.”