Holland says goodbye to another gambling company. The UK will consider gambling marketing regulation later than expected. In Italy, two media companies were fined. In the meantime, the KSA is calling on the government to limit the players’ maximum spending. And Ireland has stepped into a new era of regulated gambling.

LCS Limited will no longer be able to operate in Holland

The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has stopped the illegal activities of LCS Limited in the country. The supervising authority conducted a thorough investigation and found that this operator was offering online gambling games to the Dutch without a proper license. According to KSA, the company promoted this offer through the Sons-of-slots.com website.

To make sure that LCS violated Dutch gambling laws, the KSA checked the site in March and July. And in each of these cases, the regulator’s representatives were able to make deposits and play online games without any issues. As a result, the operator will have to stop operating in the Dutch market.

If the LCS does not comply with the ruling, it will have to pay 55 000 euros in fines each week. And in the worst-case scenario, this figure could rise to €165 000.

The UK delays gambling marketing regulation for vulnerable players

The UK Gambling Commission has declared that iGaming operators will have to start complying with new requirements for interacting with vulnerable gamblers much later than expected. The regulator announced this decision and explained what caused this delay on September 2.

According to the Commission, the new requirements included in the Social Responsibility Code Provision 3.4.3 will be implemented partially. As planned, some of them will come into force on September 12. However, gambling companies reported that they could not fulfill all the conditions due to technical difficulties, and UKGC compromised.

The most notable pending requirement is a ban on gambling marketing initiatives and bonus offers that could harm problem gamblers.

Italian authorities fined two media companies

Domestic and international media owners have received a warning from the Italian media and communications agency, Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (AGCOM). In the message, the regulator focused on the importance of the Dignity Decree and the mandatory execution of this act’s provisions. The agency issued the warning after it fined Google Ireland Ltd and Top Ads Ltd €750 000 and €700 000 respectively.

When it comes to Google Ireland Ltd, it received such a significant fine for promoting gambling content through YouTube channels. An affiliate marketing agency, Top Ads Ltd, also used YouTube channels for gambling ads. But on top of that, it also used SpikeSlot.com for this purpose.

AGCOM has gained the ability to fine foreign companies thanks to the recent European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings. And the media agency highlighted the fact that YouTube also violated the Dignity Decree and it should control its content much better.

KSA chairman wants to tighten control over gambling spending

René Jansen, who is the chairman of the Dutch regulator KSA, thinks that the government should start to restrict players from the spending perspective. During the European Association for the Study of Gambling conference on September 7, the chairman said the government would be able to control the gambling sector much better through strict regulations.

Jansen referred to the fact that many European nations take the gambling industry much more seriously than the Netherlands, and these countries see positive results. Along with this, he noted that operators should also do their best to make gambling a safer hobby for any adult.

Ireland’s first regulatory authority established

While the Irish gambling industry was considered a rather wild sector, the current government is finally focusing on this significant area. It introduced the country’s first-ever Gambling Regulatory Authority, which will supervise the iGaming market in the near future.

The creation of a regulatory body precedes the implementation of new gambling reforms that the Irish government plans to introduce in 2023. Once the authorities have put in place a legislative framework to effectively monitor and regulate the industry, the new body can begin to form a safe licensed market.

The government introduced the regulator before it prepared the necessary laws for a reason. Thanks to this, the new body will be able to start enacting future gambling reforms faster.

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