In June 2022, Gammix faced an ultimatum to exit the Dutch market or face weekly fines amounting to €1.4 million.
Following this, in March, the KSA imposed a penalty of €4.4 million on Gammix for failing to adhere to the directive to cease operations in the Netherlands.
The most recent fine is a consequence of these prior directives, with the KSA emphasizing Gammix’s failure to take actions to prohibit Dutch players.
The regulatory body noted, “has not taken any measures to ban players from the Netherlands.”
In its latest ruling, the KSA asserted that Gammix persists in offering illegal online gambling services through various websites accessible to Dutch players, such as rantcasino.com, betoriginal.com, and nordslot.com.
Notably, the investigation conducted in March 2023 focused on rantcasino.com and nordslot.com.
The KSA’s decision detailed its monitoring of Gammix’s websites throughout 2022, indicating continuous accessibility to Dutch users despite initial investigations and subsequent reinspections.
Following this, the KSA forwarded its findings to Gammix, to which Gammix responded in May 2023, contesting the basis for imposing sanctions.
Despite Gammix’s objections, the KSA maintained that the websites remained accessible via Dutch ISPs and accepted registrations from the Netherlands, evident from the presence of the +31 Dutch area code and the absence of the Netherlands from the list of prohibited countries.
The KSA justified its fine, citing Gammix’s obligation as an operator to be aware of Dutch gambling laws and potential enforcement actions.
Furthermore, aggravating circumstances such as inactivity costs and inadequate age verification contributed to the substantial penalty.
Gammix, reacting to the fine’s announcement on March 1, criticized the KSA’s decision as “outrageous and unsubstantiated.”
Phil Pearson, director of Gammix Limited, pledged to contest the fine, alleging communication lapses and erroneous calculations in the penalty assessment.
Moreover, Gammix questioned the validity of the investigation, highlighting discrepancies in account origins and transaction methods.
The KSA’s investigative approach, particularly its “mystery shopper” method, has faced scrutiny in the past, notably with Videoslots contesting a similar penalty in March 2023.
Videoslots criticized the regulator’s tactics, alleging unauthorized access and procedural errors in the investigation process.