Gammix to appeal €19.7 million fine from Netherlands Gambling Authority

Jenny Ortiz March 5, 2024

The fight is not over yet for online gaming operator Gammix, which vowed to challenge the Netherlands Gambling Authority’s (KSA) fine of €19.7 million imposed last week.

Gaming Intelligence quoted Gammix director Phil Pearson expressing his dismay at the regulator’s actions, characterizing them as “extraordinary and unnecessarily heavy-handed.”

Pearson noted that despite attempts to engage with the regulator and clarify matters, including providing evidence of compliance measures, they were met with silence.

The Gammix director clarified that Gammix employs measures such as blocking Dutch IP addresses through Cloudflare and refraining from offering services in Dutch or facilitating direct Dutch payments.

He emphasized that while affiliates might promote Gammix brands on Dutch-facing platforms, the company cannot be held liable for such actions, as prospective players would be unable to register accounts upon reaching the site.

Regarding the previous fine of €4 million imposed on Gammix by the KSA in 2022 for alleged market operations without a local license, Pearson dismissed it as unjust and vowed to contest it vigorously.

He asserted that Gammix would pursue every available avenue to challenge the fine and demanded nothing less than its rescission and a formal apology.

€19.7 million fine imposed last week

Last week, the KSA fined Gammix €19.7 million for providing gambling services to Dutch residents without proper authorization.

The KSA outlined several violations by Gammix, including insufficient age verification procedures for players, the allowance of anonymous deposits, and the inclusion of autoplay and turboplay casino games on its websites.

Authorities found that Gammix’s websites were accessible from Dutch IP addresses, and deposits could be made using Dutch bank accounts, further implicating the company in breaching gambling regulations.

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