Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has imposed a €200,000 penalty payment order on an unlicensed bingo operator for providing games illegally.
The case relates to the Baco’s Zaal bingo, an event hosted and played via live video streams on the organiser’s Facebook page. KSA said the case has been ongoing since 2022, with the organiser having previously been warned over illegal bingo activities.
The organiser could now be ordered to pay almost €200,000 (£165,816/$207,837) if it does not cease activities imminently. KSA reached its decision in November but only made the ruling public today (7 January).
Detailing the case, KSA said a supervisor had recorded live bingo streams on the Baco’s Zaalbingo Facebook page in August and September 2024. This followed posts published earlier in August which advertised additional bingo games that would take place later that month.
For the games, which took place on 31 August and 1 September, tickets were priced at €25 and prizes were displayed throughout each game.
Bingo organiser slammed for repeat offences
Dutch law states small games of chance like bingo may only be organised by an association that has existed for a minimum of three years. Gambling operators are not permitted to offer bingo in the country.
It also stipulates that legal bingo games may also only offer a top prize of €400, while total prizes cannot exceed €1,550.
In its decision, KSA said it had contacted the organiser in March 2022 after an investigation uncovered the illegal activities. However, upon reinspection in August last year, bingo was still being advertised and played on the same Facebook page.
With this, KSA confirmed the organiser did not meet the criteria set out in law for legal bingo games. It also flagged how the prizes were far above the maximum permitted and that the games were illegally marketed beforehand. The Netherlands has a near-outright ban on gambling advertising.
Maximum penalty set at €196,875
As such, it is imposing a penalty payment order on the organiser. Should the organiser fail to comply, they could face a total penalty of €196,875.
This penalty order is split into two parts. First, the organiser will have to pay €13,125 for each bingo game hosted, up to a maximum of €131,250. On top of this, the penalty for each advert is set at €6,562, up to €65,625.
KSA said it took this course of action as the chance of another repeat offence is “high”.
“This is partly because the organiser himself says in a video on Facebook that he organises a bingo every now and then,” KSA said. “He was already formally reprimanded for this in 2022, but he continued despite this.
“The proceeds from this type of illegal bingo can run into tens of thousands of euros. That is why the KSA takes tough action against this.”
This is the second regulatory ruling announced this week by KSA. Yesterday (6 January), the regulator also fined Alimaniere Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada for operating online casino games without a local licence.
