The Netherlands Gambling Authority has wrapped up a six-month investigation into illegal gambling advertisements appearing in mainstream media outlets. What the regulator discovered is that a plethora of newspapers and magazines had been unknowingly promoting unlicensed online casinos.
Many of the offenders did not integrate with Cruks, the country’s self-exclusion system designed to protect vulnerable players, prompting enforcement.
According to the KSA, this creates a serious risk of players being lured into illegal gambling without even realizing they are outside the bounds of regulated, safer play.
While an investigation of this ilk would typically look at the direct links to black market gambling operators, this one also flagged articles and sponsored content that included brand recommendations, casino logos, or even images of Dutch banks.
