The Netherlands Gambling Authority, known locally as KSA, has issued a stern warning to two unauthorized operators, indicating they face significant fines unless they comply with the regulator’s cease-and-desist directives.
The companies, Techno Offshore Limited—running platforms such as simplecasino.com and nolimitbet.com—and Novatech Solutions, which oversees qbet.com and 55bet.com, have been instructed to stop their services immediately and to avoid future engagement with Dutch players.
According to the KSA’s penalty enforcement, these unlicensed entities are afforded a four-week period, starting from the issuance of the order, to cease all operations. Failure to comply will result in weekly fines of €280,000, with a cap set at €840,000.
For Techno Offshore, the KSA found a violation of Article 1 of the Netherlands’ Remote Gambling Act. This law prohibits offering gambling games that involve prizes without the appropriate licensing. An investigation in April 2024 revealed that users from the Netherlands could register, deposit funds, and participate in these games illegally via the company’s websites.
Further scrutiny showed that during the registration process, using a Dutch IP address resulted in the automatic input of the country code for the Netherlands’ phone numbers. A subsequent review two months later noted that while the account linked to the KSA was deactivated, other user accounts could still be initiated from Dutch IPs.
The KSA emphasized they are treating this issue with the utmost seriousness due to its nature as an intentional attempt to bypass regulatory measures.
In a similar scenario, Novatech Solutions was found to have broken the same specific line of the Remote Gambling Act. Their investigation commenced in June 2024, and the KSA established that a representative of the authority could open an account, deposit money, and participate in illicit gambling activities via qbet.com.
Though a follow-up investigation showed that Dutch players had been blocked from accessing qbet.com, they could still engage through another Novatech Solutions site, 55bet.com.
KSA chair Michel Groothuizen commented on these occurrences, stating, “Illegal operators act with sophistication. We encounter providers without a KSA licence who genuinely strive to exclude Dutch players, alongside many others who simply ignore the rules. Post-inspection, while often the specific website ceases its offerings, these services continue unabated on another site owned by the same provider. We rigorously pursue such entities that intentionally breach regulations. By imposing orders linked to penalty payments, we halt these activities swiftly, and we are equally ready to levy substantial fines for repeat violations,” he elaborated.
This news was initially reported on EGR Intel.