Dutch regulator issues 4 warnings for lapses in match-fixing prevention

Garance Limouzy August 6, 2024

In the Netherlands, the regulator, Ksa, has issued four warnings to sports-betting providers for failing to meet legal requirements regarding match-fixing risk analyses.

Discrepancies

In 2023, the Ksa initiated a broader investigation prompted by concerns over potential match-fixing risks. The regulator’s initial market-wide investigation revealed significant discrepancies in how providers managed their obligations to prevent match-fixing.
”In many cases, operators outsource all or part of the identification and analysis” explained the Ksa. “The analysis methods also vary widely among providers. While some online gambling operators offer thorough and detailed substantiations for their risk assessments, others provide only brief, superficial analyses, sometimes limited to just a single sentence,” added the regulator.

Follow-up investigation

At the beginning of 2024, the Ksa issued comprehensive guidance to online sports-betting providers. The regulator defined the necessary procedures for identifying and analysing risks associated with match-fixing. Despite these instructions, a follow-up investigation exposed several deficiencies in how some providers were implementing these measures.

In the targeted follow-up investigation, the Ksa requested data from various license holders regarding their risk analyses for specific matches in foreign competitions. The review revealed that, in four instances, the risk analyses either were not conducted properly or were misinterpreted. These shortcomings were deemed serious enough to warrant formal warnings from the Ksa.

Monitoring

The identified issues include incomplete or incorrect analyses and failure to take adequate measures in response to detected risks.

The Ksa has announced it will maintain close oversight of operator compliance, with ongoing random requests for analyses to ensure adherence to legal requirements.

The Ksa has recently reprimanded an undisclosed online gambling licensee for breaching stringent national rules on non-targeted advertising. The breach occurred in a TV commercial that featured a football player wearing a T-shirt with the gambling operator’s logo prominently displayed.