Malta-based operator N1 Interactive fined €500,000 by Dutch regulator

N1 Interactive Ltd, based in Malta and licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has been fined €500,000 by the Dutch regulator, de Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), charging it with illegally offering gambling to Dutch players via its Betchan website.

The regulator stated that an investigation into the Betchan site found that it violated Dutch laws, being accessible from the Netherlands, and not mentioning it as a country in which online games of chance are illegal.

In calculating the fine due, it found that the size due should be increased above the typical level for similar offences, because no visible age verification took place on the site, and inactivity fees were charged to players.

The KSA also stated that the website is no longer accessible for the Netherlands, due to the operator's actions.

It additionally noted that the website seemed to have been targeting Netherlands-located players in promotional campaigns, using the word 'Amsterdam' as a bonus code, for example.

It comes as the Netherlands introduced its Remote Gambling Act in April, with licensed operators now able to offer online gambling to players starting in October.

Last month, the Dutch authorities announced gambling operators will be facing a sharp rise in levies and fees, set to last a decade.

The levy will be increased for all providers of games of chance, with the country citing an uptick in the costs incurred by the KSA, related to its regulating of the new online market.

Gross gaming revenue paid for online gambling operators will rise from 1.75 per cent to 1.95 per cent, equating to an 11.4 per cent rise. Of this, 0.25 per cent of the charge will continue to be directed towards an addiction prevention fund.