The case has been rumbling on for some time, with KSA first contacting Holland Casino in late 2021. The Dutch regulated online gambling market launched in October 2021. Holland Casino secured a licence ahead of time in September.
At the time, KSA said the operator’s CBD did not meet requirements set out in Dutch law. CBDs are used to store data from gambling activities, with KSA having access to the systems. This, KSA said, means it is important that data is correct and the system is up-to-date.
KSA in December 2021 said Holland Casino provided incorrect data on its CBD and said this should be corrected. Holland Casino at the time said it had addressed the issues flagged by KSA.
Testing delays at Holland Casino
However, in the following February, KSA held a consultation with Holland Casino over new issues that had been identified. Holland Casino then worked with partners to address the problems, with KSA carrying out testing in September 2022 following a number of delays.
When it came to testing, KSA could only carry out certain evaluations as Holland Casino did not provide all relevant documents. The regulator said these tests identified several lasting issues that had not been addressed by the improvements.
The two parties went back and forth on the issue before agreeing two new test periods in November and December. However, KSA said these were not completed as Holland Casino failed to resolve earlier issues.
KSA not satisfied with Holland Casino
KSA then granted Holland Casino a verification period to bring its CBD in line. This took place in January 2023, but still certain errors were identified in relation to player data quality and the implementation of its data model.
The regulator acknowledged Holland Casino’s aim to address the problems but also set out its plans to impose a binding instruction on the operator.
Further testing took place in May but KSA said it was still not satisfied with the outcome and in June announced its binding action, giving Holland Casino six weeks to address the issues.
Possible fine or licence withdrawal
Holland Casino objected and requested a provisional injunction, which led to the six-week period being suspended. However, the District Court of The Hague today (16 November) rejected the request, with the six-week period now continuing.
KSA said Holland Casino must comply with its demands in this time or face regulatory action. This could include a penalty, administrative fine or possibly having its igaming licence withdrawn.
Holland Casino maintains its CBD is in line with regulations and it has improved the system upon several requests made by KSA.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/legal/dutch-regulator-licence-warning-holland-casino-database-issues/
