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Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch Gaming Authority, has imposed a binding instruction on DigitalOcean, instructing the provider to cease and desist its services in conjunction with two illegal affiliate websites operating in the Netherlands, casinozonderregistratie.net and nieuw-casinos.net.
The two sites were found to be advertising illegal games of chance (online casino), redirecting Dutch players to illegal sites. As the host provider, the binding instruction has been imposed against DigitalOcean.
DigitalOcean has four weeks to comply with the binding instruction, with the provider liable to face a follow-up sanction including a penalty or fine if it is left incomplete.
The KSA has been cracking down on illegal affiliate sites since receiving ‘several signals’ regarding illegal advertising offers.
The KSA’s investigation, which concluded in February, reported that it would take action against 14 of the 33 websites investigated for violations. Tackling illegal affiliate sites was also a notable part of the KSA’s 2024 agenda.
As well as tackling illegal affiliates, the KSA also aims to protect players from operators working outside of regulation, such as those operating without a licence.
In March, the KSA fined Gammix Limited €19.7m ($21.4m) for such offences, which Director Phil Pearson called an “absolute joke.”
The KSA also routinely surveys the Dutch gaming market to report on its safety. Recent investigations include a study into match-fixing, which saw reports down 85% year-on-year (something not wholly positive according to the KSA, suggesting this may be due to unawareness on how to report match-fixing) and an investigation into the Dutch iGaming market in 2023, which saw gross gaming revenue sit at €1.39bn ($1.51bn), up 28% from the year prior.
