The group, which was stripped of its Maltese licence earlier this year, was fined by regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) for allowing Dutch residents to play at its unlicensed Betworld247 site. Dutch players could create accounts with their Dutch addresses at Betworld247 and participate in online games of chance. KSA stated that no measures were taken to prevent participants from the Netherlands, such as an IP blockade. This violated the Dutch Betting and Gaming Act (WOK) which requires local licensing for legal gaming services. KSA pointed out that the age of participating players at Betworld247 was not verified, which contributed to the severity of the fine. René Jansen, Chairman of KSA, emphasized the seriousness of the offense, as it allowed access to vulnerable underage players. This lack of concern for player safety highlights the issues within the illegal market.
In May 2022, KSA initiated an investigation into MKC and sent a cease-and-desist letter to the group in August of the same year. Between June 2021 and May 2022, the site received 376,595 visits from Dutch consumers. MKC was given the opportunity to provide evidence and attend a hearing but did not respond. In July 2023, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) revoked MKC’s license for multiple violations of regulations. These breaches included failure to make licensing payments, non-compliance with financial commitments, and delayed customer service.
Earlier this month, KSA fined Malta-based LCS Limited €2.1m for operating in the Netherlands without a license. After a year of legal disputes, KSA imposed the fine on MGA-licensed LCS for offering gambling through its Sonofslots igaming site without proper licensing.
