Bingoal hit with €400,000 fine in Netherlands over marketing mishap
Dutch regulator continues its push against marketing to young adults with latest fine package confirmed
The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has handed Bingoal a €400,000 fine after the operator was found to have sent marketing materials to young adults.
The KSA established that between 12 October 2021 and 15 March 2022, Bingoal sent marketing materials to customers aged between 18 and 24-years-old.
The regulator has handed out a slew of €400,000 fines in recent months to operators for advertising to young people, including bet365 and Entain-owned BetCity.
Bingoal did not deny it had sent emails to young adults, but denied that the emails were sent specifically to this demographic.
The operator, which is based in Belgium, argued that the emails made up part of its general marketing strategy, and that the regulations are not clear.
Bingoal also argued that a fine between €100,000 and €500,000 would only provide black-market operators with an advantage over the licensed firms.
However, despite the firm’s protests, the KSA handed down an initial €350,000 fine which was topped up by €50,000 due to the length of the offence.
The KSA noted that Bingoal continued to direct advertising towards young adults despite the having the ability to remove these accounts from mailing lists.
The regulator also added that the Bingoal judgment marked the end of its current investigation into licensed operators’ marketing failings towards young adults.