The Dutch gambling regulator fines Baco’s Zaal €200,000 for hosting illegal bingo games on Facebook. (Image: Travelwide / Alamy)
The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has issued a €200,000 penalty order against an unlicensed bingo operator known as Baco’s Zaal for conducting illegal bingo games on Facebook.
Following ongoing monitoring since 2022, KSA found that the operator hosted live bingo games in August and September 2024, advertising prizes exceeding legal limits.
Operator Previously Reprimanded
Dutch law permits only established associations to run small games of chance, and the operator was previously reprimanded for similar violations.
The fines include €13,125 for each bingo game and €6,562 for each illegal advertisement, with a total penalty cap of €196,875.
KSA emphasised the risk of repeat offences, noting that the operator claimed in a video to continue hosting bingo events despite prior warnings. This ruling comes as KSA intensifies its enforcement against illegal gambling activities.
KSA Fines Gambling Site Based in Costa Rica
In a separate incident, the KSA fined an online casino based in Costa Rica €1 million for operating without a licence.
Dutch News reported that the KSA issued the fine after the company behind the site, Alimaniere, set up a “mirror site” to get around an earlier ban.
Despite compliance by Alimaniere in shutting down its original website, timetospin.com, further investigations revealed that customers could keep playing on a new site, timetospin1.com, using the same account details.
The KSA imposed a fine exceeding the standard €600,000 penalty on an unlicensed gambling site due to multiple violations, including a ban on underage gambling.
Michel Groothuizen, chair of the KSA, emphasised the importance of a safe legal gambling market, highlighting the lack of age verification and the imposition of inactivity fees by illegal operators. The KSA is committed to taking strong action against such operators.
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