The Nederlandse Loterij, the state-owned lottery operator in the Netherlands, has taken decisive action against the unauthorized gambling website Skyhills by instructing its operators to stop catering to Dutch players. This intervention follows a recent court ruling affecting Lalabet, a gambling platform that had previously faced scrutiny.
On Tuesday, the Nederlandse Loterij revealed that it issued a cease-and-desist order to individuals and companies associated with Skyhills across various countries, including Costa Rica, North Macedonia, the United Kingdom, Curaçao, Malta, and the Marshall Islands. As a result, access to the Skyhills platform in the Netherlands has been terminated.
Arjan Blok, CEO of Nederlandse Loterij, highlighted the agency's commitment to safeguarding players in a statement. "Skyhills uses devious advertising, including on TikTok, explicitly targeting Dutch players, especially young people. Players there gamble without any safeguards and face all associated risks," he stated. Blok expressed satisfaction that Skyhills went offline soon after the initial action was taken.
This effort marks the third illegal operator confronted by the Nederlandse Loterij, following actions against Lalabet and Qbet. The case involving Lalabet was particularly significant; it culminated in a ruling from a Dutch court that found the operators and directors of Lalabet had unlawfully targeted players in the Netherlands. The court ordered them to halt their operations and provide detailed information about their ownership and shareholders. It also raised questions about the responsibilities of trust administrators and local entities that facilitate illegal gambling activities. Although the court did not hold the Curaçao-based trust firm DECC and its directors liable in this instance, it indicated that further scrutiny of such intermediaries could be imminent.
In light of the Lalabet ruling, the Nederlandse Loterij has indicated plans to appeal certain aspects of the decision, particularly emphasizing that trust firms should thoroughly vet their clients. Additionally, the organization is examining the involvement of the same trust firm concerning Qbet and Skyhills, hinting at potential future legal actions once corporate ownership structures are clarified.
Simultaneously, this crackdown on illegal gambling coincides with ongoing legislative discussions in The Hague regarding reforms to gambling regulations. The Dutch House of Representatives is scheduled to review these reforms this week. While the Nederlandse Loterij supports government initiatives aimed at enhancing the Gambling Authority's ability to combat illegal operators, cautioning that effective legislative changes may take years, Blok has urged immediate comprehensive action. "The government must act now through criminal prosecutions by the Public Prosecution Service, alongside measures taken by regulators and licensed operators," he insisted. He stressed that addressing illegal gambling requires collective responsibility from banks, payment providers, and hosting services that support such platforms.
Concerns about advertising have also surfaced, as the Nederlandse Loterij criticized proposed government measures for a blanket advertising ban on licensed online gambling providers. It argues that these restrictions could unintentionally push players toward unregulated gambling platforms. According to the Nederlandse Loterij, illegal operators currently dominate about half of the Dutch online gambling market and account for approximately 95% of online gambling advertisements, often posing as licensed providers. They estimate that around 200,000 Dutch residents are engaging with unauthorized platforms.
Earlier this summer, the trade body for Dutch Online Gaming Providers (VNLOK) initiated legal action against Meta, filing a formal complaint with the European Commission. The complaint alleges that Meta failed to curb the widespread presence of illegal online gambling advertisements directed at Dutch users on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram. VNLOK claims the illegal online gambling sector in the Netherlands has now reached parity with the regulated market, generating estimated annual revenues exceeding €1 billion (about $1.1 billion).
