In a press release, published on Monday, the Netherlands gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) announced that it has imposed a solid €400,000 fine to 1X Corp. N.V. and Exinvest Limited. The former is a Curacao licensee running the 1xBet.com, and the latter is a Cyprus-based company operating the xbet-1.com. None of them was allowed to provide online gambling services to the Dutch players.
The press release says that the research, carried out by the regulator revealed that both websites were accessible from the Netherlands “during a certain period”. Also, both sites provided their services in the Dutch language, and offered deposits and withdrawals via iDeal – a popular payment method among the Dutch casino players.
The KSA investigation also showed that the two websites offered a large variety of games of chance, Blackjack and Roulette included. In addition, the Dutch watchdog found out that the 1X Corp. N.V. and Exinvest Limited run another 83 websites all of which accessible with a single account.
René Jansen, chairman of the board of directors of the Ksa, commented on the matter: “Online gambling in the Netherlands is illegal. Under the current legal regime for companies it is not possible to get a license for offering online games of chance. Consumers are not assured of a safe game on an honest market with illegal providers.”
The massive fine comes mere days after the announcement that the Dutch Senate voted to legalise the online gambling and enable international online casinos to operate on the territory of the country. The Netherlands lawmakers also decided that casinos that have been previously fined, will have to wait two years before being able to apply for a licence and operate in a regulated environment.
The first gambling permits are expected in late 2020.
