Dutch Regulator Hits Winning Poker Network with €1.3M Fine
The Netherlands' gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has imposed a fine of €1.3 million on Winning Poker Network for operating online poker games in the country without a license.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:According to the KSA, WPN owns several online domains, offering illegal gambling services to consumers in the Netherlands. These include AmericasCardroom.eu (ACR), which provides Dutch players with access to poker games, tournaments, and customer promotions.
Furthermore, the regulator alleged that WPN not only operated without a license but also charged players extra for inactivity while falsely claiming credibility by showcasing a foreign license.
The KSA's case against WPN started in September 2022 after discovering that the operator's ACR site was accessible to Dutch players without a valid license. Players could freely create accounts, make deposits with Dutch credit cards, and play online poker games.
The KSA also noted that the website offered various casino games, which is prohibited in the Netherlands. While licensed operators are permitted to offer online poker, games of chance, such as slots, are strictly banned.
The regulator further observed that the ACR website promoted several other WPN-owned websites, including TruePoker.eu (TP), BlackChipPoker.eu (BCP) and PokerKing.com (PK).
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Regulatory Warnings and Persistent Breaches
Following its initial investigation, the regulator conducted a follow-up probe in November 2022, which revealed that the site remained accessible to Dutch players. However, a subsequent investigation in January 2023 found that the site was no longer active in the Dutch market.
As part of the January investigation, KSA officers inspected other sites linked to ACR, specifically TruePoker.eu (TP). They found that TP was still available in the Netherlands, providing unlicensed online poker, sports betting, and casino games.
A subsequent investigation in February 2023 revealed that the BCP and PK sites were also accessible in the Netherlands.
In response to the ongoing infractions, the KSA issued a penalty notice to WPN. However, the poker operator refused to pay the penalty, and the regulatory breaches extended into April 2023.
These repeated violations are what led to the latest €1.3 million fine. The regulator explained that the fine exceeded the standard €600,000 for such offenses due to WPN’s failure to heed earlier warnings.
A penalty payment is an effective way to get illegal offers out of the air often quickly. Yet these types of parties should not think that they will get away with it easily, so we also impose fines for the violation committed. With that, we hit them where it really hurts, namely in the wallet.
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