Dutch regulator hit Unibet with record €4 million fine for failing addicted gamblers
The owner of online gambling platform Unibet was fined four million euros for an inadequate response to its clients who showed signs of addiction amid heavy betting losses. The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) announced the fine, its highest-ever against a licensed operator, in a statement on Monday. Unibet parent Optdeck Service Limited, a company based in Malta, was sanctioned for “failing to comply with its duty of care” during a two-year period, beginning in July 2022.
The regulator investigated the activity of ten specific gamblers who made use of the platform, finding that Unibet’s automated and manual reviews were frequently inadequate. In some cases, gamblers repeatedly triggered intervention systems, but were often allowed to continue to play while losing tens of thousands of euros.
These players showed many “signs of excessive gambling,” including continuous play into the overnight hours, multiple cash deposits in a single day, or deposits that increased in amount as losses grew. When Unibet did intervene, it often came many weeks after red flags were raised.
In some cases, those interventions included a one-on-one conversation that consisted solely of a couple of closed-answer questions. These were likely to be “about whether the player plays for fun and whether they are experiencing problems playing on the site.” Other cases “an easily dismissible pop-up” that appeared on the player’s screen.
Unibet’s parent also failed when it came to screening players’ income to determine if they could afford their potential losses, and customers were also allowed to use information from business bank accounts, and to draw from them.
Licensed gambling operators have a legal responsibility to cut off players who show signs of addiction in a timely fashion. They are also required to go in-depth during personal interviews that arise from analyzing player behavior, and to provide information about addiction support services.
According to the regulator’s decision, Optdeck argued that it has final say over the form of its addiction prevention protocol, and the company prefers to focus “on the player’s own
responsibility.” The company also argued that the investigation “covers the period almost immediately after licensing and only a few months after the online gambling market opened,” and that improvements were rolled out.
“The Netherlands Gambling Authority has noted that Optdeck has taken other measures even after the period related to the established violations. However, these measures do not undo the violations committed, and will be discussed where necessary in the context of the proportionality of this sanction decision,” the KSA decision stated.
“When there are signs of excessive gambling behavior and someone wagers a large amount of money in a short period of time, a provider must promptly investigate the source of the money,” said KSA Chair Michel Groothuizen. “It is essential that providers conduct this analysis properly, because not all financial resources can simply be included. The Ksa takes violations of its duty of care very seriously and will continue to take strong action against them.”
