Dutch Gambling Authority Opens to Pre-Applications; €200K Fine to TitanPoker
From Thursday, Dec. 04, operators interested to obtain a license to offer their services in the Netherlands can formally 'pre-apply' for one straight from the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA)’s website, the Dutch gambling regulator.
The non-binding applications can be submitted through a specific form published on this page which is currently available only in Dutch.
The KSA plans to keep the operators that choose to 'officially' declare their interest at operating in the upcoming Dutch regulated gambling market punctually updated over the development of the legislative process, and also to consult for inputs over the licensing requirements by no later than 2015.
Although it is yet to be understood which are the operators that will decide to invest in a license to offer online gambling games in the Netherlands, some recent moves from William Hill led many to think that the London-based group may be one of those.
As confirmed to PokerNews by William Hill’s International PR Manager Rupert Adams, the company has in fact decided to momentarily pull our of the Dutch market and no longer offer its services to citizens located in the Netherlands.
In a statement sent to the media, William Hill explained that the decision has been taken not to jeopardize the group’s chances at a Dutch gaming license, once the new regulation will enter into force.
Similarly, also 888poker is expected to be one of the first companies to apply for a license, once the licensing process will finally become available and the criteria to be met by the applicants will be fully defined. 888poker has already stopped all its marketing activities back during the month of August.
To prove its determination in proceeding towards a quick and defined regulation of the country’s online gambling market, on Dec. 02, the KSA announced also that it has given a €200,000 record fine to Imperial E-Club Limites.
The company, which operates sites as TitanPoker, TitanBet, VegasRed, Europa Casino, Casino Tropez and Casino Bellini has been accused to have illegally focused par of its activities on the Dutch market.
"Imperial E-Club Limited received from the Kansspelautorteit a fine of €200,000 for the provision of online gambling without a license,” a note from the KSA says. "The company operates seven sites, partly aimed at the Dutch market, where casino games and sports betting are offered."
"This penalty is the highest fine that the Gaming Authority has ever imposed on an individual company to date. The reason is mainly based on the large number of websites that Imperial E-Club Limited offered and the large number of gambling games that could be played on such sites."
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