Opposition lawmakers in the Netherlands have proposed legislation that would allow the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) to fine illegal gambling operators up to 100% of their annual revenue — a tenfold increase on the current statutory ceiling of 10% of global turnover. The motion, tabled by ChristenUnie leader Mirjam Bikker and Socialist Party leader Sarah Dobbe, follows the KSA’s record €24,846,000 fine against Novatech earlier this month and the regulator’s own public acknowledgement that the existing cap leaves it unable to impose penalties proportional to the profits generated by unlicensed platforms.
The Novatech Fine and the Cap Problem
On 10 March, the KSA issued the largest single fine in its enforcement history against Novatech, the offshore operator behind Qbet.com and 55Bet.com. The authority determined that Dutch players could freely register accounts, make deposits, and place bets on both platforms with no technical barriers in place. Neither site carried visible age verification. Both accepted cryptocurrency and anonymous payment methods — factors the KSA cited as aggravating conditions that elevated the risk of money laundering.
The fine was calculated on estimated Dutch turnover, the mechanism Dutch law allows when standard penalties are disproportionate to an operator’s earnings. But even at €24.8m, KSA Chairman Michel Groothuizen said publicly the number fell well short of what the offence warranted.
“Novatech earned hundreds of millions from its illegal offering, primarily from Dutch players. A fine of €24m sounds impressive, but without the 10% maximum, the fine would have exceeded €100m — an amount that would be more appropriate for this offence.”
Fortaprime SRL, which operates eight unlicensed sites including Amonbet and Supraplay, was fined €1,795,000 in the same enforcement action. The KSA found Fortaprime had also used Dutch social media influencers to promote its brands — a practice that is prohibited under existing Dutch advertising rules, and one the regulator said could expose those influencers to separate financial penalties.
Within days, Sweden’s Spelinspektionen issued a banning order against Novatech after inspectors found Swedish players could access its domains without restriction. Shortly after, Novatech surrendered its Curaçao operating licence — a move that illustrates exactly the enforcement gap the Dutch motion is trying to close. Offshore operators with no physical presence in the Netherlands have limited exposure to Dutch court orders, which means even record fines can go uncollected.
What the Motion Proposes
The Bikker-Dobbe motion goes beyond raising the fine ceiling. It also calls for a total ban on online gambling advertising — a position that overlaps with a separate proposal already tabled by the current minority government, suggesting cross-party momentum for an outright prohibition on betting promotions in the Netherlands.
The motion also proposes doubling the mandatory minimum exclusion period under the national self-exclusion registry, Cruks, from six months to a full year. Lawmakers pointed to data showing that approximately 450,000 new players entered the Dutch online gambling market after it was regulated in October 2021. Young adults aged 18 to 21 now account for around 22% of active accounts — a demographic shift that Bikker described as an urgent driver of the legislative push.
“Slot machines are now literally in your pocket, and you see gambling ads everywhere in the high street.”
The Dutch market has accumulated advertising restrictions progressively since 2021. Untargeted advertising was banned from July 2023. Sports sponsorships were phased out through 2024 and 2025. The government also raised the gambling tax from 30.5% to 34.2% in 2025, with a further increase to 37.8% scheduled for 2026. The KSA has stated that 90% of player spend remaining with licensed operators is its core target for the year — though Dutch channelisation figures dropped below 50% in the first half of 2025, according to data reported by TGE earlier.
The Collection Problem
Raising the fine ceiling addresses only part of the enforcement equation. As Novatech’s case demonstrates, offshore operators registered outside the EU can simply ignore penalties and abandon licences in lenient jurisdictions without meaningful consequence. Neither Novatech nor Fortaprime has a physical presence in the Netherlands, making collection through Dutch courts difficult in practice.
The KSA has responded by expanding its enforcement perimeter beyond the operator itself. Its 2026 Supervisory Agenda commits to targeting the infrastructure that supports illegal operators — payment providers, hosting companies, banks, and social media platforms — alongside closer scrutiny of B2B suppliers providing games to unlicensed sites. The regulator has also extended its enforcement reach to prediction markets: in January 2026, the KSA ordered Polymarket to cease operations in the Netherlands for offering event contracts the authority classified as gambling under Dutch law.
Industry operators have pushed back on the advertising ban proposals, arguing that silencing licensed operators while unlicensed platforms continue to advertise without restriction will accelerate player migration to the black market. That tension — between tighter regulation of the legal sector and the practical difficulty of eliminating the illegal one — is the central fault line running through the Dutch reform debate. Whether raising the fine ceiling to 100% of revenue changes the calculation for offshore operators will depend largely on whether enforcement mechanisms can keep pace with the legislative ambition.
Source: Kansspelautoriteit
