Netherlands Issues Record €37M iGaming Fine
The Dutch Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit – KSA) has issued a record-breaking €37 million ($44.4 million) fine against Costa Rica-registered operator EOD Code SRL for illegally offering unlicensed online gambling services to players in the Netherlands. Representing the largest monetary penalty in the regulator’s operational history, the enforcement action highlights the KSA's aggressive pivot toward turnover-calculated sanctions designed to strip illegal offshore entities of illicit commercial gains.
The regulatory action originated from an initial probe into Instantcasino, which subsequently expanded to encompass a network of 12 illegal gambling domains under EOD Code SRL's operational umbrella—including Skyhills.com, slotmonster.com, betiro.com, betblast.com, fastslots.com, goldenpanda.com, sambaslots.com, winningz.com, incognitocasino.com, foxygold.com, and luckypays.io. Following prior order-subject penalty payments, KSA undercover inspectors confirmed that Dutch residents could successfully register, deposit, and gamble across the operator's sites without required IP or player blocking mechanisms. Beyond the absence of a Dutch remote gambling license, the regulator identified severe aggravating factors, including the complete lack of visible age verification tools and the acceptance of cryptocurrency and anonymous payment methods, which heighten money laundering risks and circumvent local player protection frameworks.
Departing from standard fixed penalties, the KSA calculated the €37 million sanction based on estimated gross turnover from Dutch user traffic, establishing that conventional fines would insufficiently penalize the financial returns generated from illegal operations. The decision eclipses the regulator's previous record penalty of €24.8 million levied against Novatech in March 2026 for operating Qbet.com and 55bet.com, as well as the €20 million fine handed to Gammix in 2024. The historic penalty signals a heightened compliance posture by the Dutch regulator, reinforcing its commitment to strict market channelization and rigorous enforcement against offshore, unvetted iGaming platforms targeting the Dutch jurisdiction.
