Videoslots accuses Dutch gambling regulator of unlawfully accessing its website

Online gaming operator Videoslots has accused the gambling regulator of the Netherlands of unlawfully accessing its website.

Videoslots says that the regulator first attempted to access its website as a Dutch mystery shopper in April 2022 but was prevented from doing so by the company’s systems. The regulator is then said to have gained access as a German customer and made a deposit and a single bet of 20 cents.

Based on what Videoslots describes as this unlawful access, regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has now issued a fine of €9.87m to the company for allowing access to the website to Dutch consumers without a licence.

The fine represents the largest penalty issued to date by the Dutch gambling regulator.

The mystery shopper access by the regulator was prompted by an error that saw Videoslots display the logo of the regulator on its website “for a short period of time” as it prepared to submit its licence application in the Netherlands.

“Videoslots does not target but restrict the Netherlands, so the Dutch Gaming Act does not apply to its services. No Dutch players were able to access our site during the disputed period and there was no violation as a result,” said Ulle Skottling, Deputy CEO of Videoslots.

“It is absurd that the KSA should fine us after gaining unauthorised access. It is simply not possible to protect fully against unauthorised access, and the KSA has no guidelines on what measures are sufficient. 

“Furthermore, there was no demonstrable damage, and the interests of Dutch consumers were never compromised at any point. The KSA calculated the fine based on several guesstimates. There is no basis for it and all sense of proportionality is missing,” Skottling added.

“Videoslots takes its legal and regulatory obligations extremely seriously, but we dispute the KSA’s actions and conclusions, which we believe are unlawful. We are confident of a positive outcome in this case.”

The KSA has been contacted for comment.