LCS Limited hit with €2m fine by KSA for operating without a licence

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has issued a €2.1m fine to LCS Limited for allowing Dutch players to play on its Sons of Slots site. 

The regulator said the fine amount had been determined based on the KSA’s current fine policy, which considers, among other aspects, firms’ revenue derived from operating in the Netherlands. 

This fine is the second action taken against LCS by the KSA. In August 2022, the regulator imposed a penalty of €165,000 and a cease and desist order.

As part of its investigation, the KSA established it was able to access the Sons of Slots sites from a Dutch IP address, log in and deposit money to play games.

Other claims include no age verification process being in place, as well as the Netherlands being automatically selected in drop down menus for customer information.

The KSA also cited traffic, derived from Similarweb, which showed the platform received frequent hits from the Netherlands.

LCS disputed the claims, arguing it was not possible to log in and bet from the Netherlands, while it also said using Similarweb data was not a true reflection of those gambling on the site.

René Jansen, KSA chair, said: “An order subject to penalty is an often very effective method to immediately stop illegal supply. 

“However, illegal providers who subsequently go black should not think that they have ‘bought off’ their illegal activities: the previously committed violations can also be punished. In addition, we continue to carry out re-checks to verify whether the supply has actually been and will continue to be discontinued.”