New maximum €100k fine for Dutch ‘gambling columns’

The Dutch gambling regulator is increasing fines against so-called “gambling columns,” the games played on which are “almost always illegal.”

The practice involves making bets via a device such as a smartphone or laptop in cafes and coffee houses with the help of staff. Deposits and payouts controlled by the owner of the establishment.

The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has increased the fine for every device found to between €25,000 and €100,000, up from a previous range of between €7,500 and €20,000 set out in 2014 laws.

An information page on gambling columns on the KSA website says the regulator “cannot check the flow of money or taxes” in the practice, leading to crime and money laundering risks.

“There is no control over the fairness of the game, the age of the players and nothing is done against gambling addiction,” the page adds.

In a statement announcing the enhanced enforcement action on the practice, the KSA said the new fine is per device and that it “does not matter whether the device is used wholly or partly as a gambling column.”

“The fine amounts can be adjusted up or down based on circumstances found on location,” it added. “For example, an earlier warning, a previously imposed fine or participation by minors is reason to increase the fine amount.”

It says the number of types of gambling columns is “increasing” and that laptops and telephones are beginning to account for “an increasingly large share of the devices used.”

The regulator noted that slot machines that require an operating or presence permit do not fall under the “gambling column” remit.