Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gaming authority, has imposed a fine of €300,000 on the Malta-based Corona Limited, operator of the websites krooncasino.com and oranjecasino.com.
The authority said in a statement that the fine has been imposed for the provision of online games of chance to Dutch consumers through the Kroon and Oranje casino websites.
The events took place between May 31 and August 8, 2017, with the regulator citing a violation of article 1, first paragraph of the Netherlands’ Betting and Gaming Act.
“This is prohibited in the Netherlands without a permit,” the statement read. “Under the current legislation it is not possible to obtain a license for offering an online game of chance [in the Netherlands].
“Providers of online games of chance are obliged to respect Dutch law. For example, they can ensure that their websites with Dutch IP addresses can not be seen [by use of geoblocking software].”
Corona Limited is part of the Swedish gaming group Betsson, which has a Malta base. The statement from Kansspelautoriteit can be viewed here while the full ruling is available here (both in Dutch).