A study on the risks of illegal online gambling in the Netherlands has warned of offshore operators sharing players’ personal data with third-party sites.
The research, conducted by the Dutch-based Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates (KVA), focuses on the risks of illegal online gambling sites directly accessible to players in the Netherlands.
KVA is a Netherlands-based advisory board created by legal firm XY Legal Solutions which demarcates affiliate sites’ compliance with Dutch regulation.
The study analysed six offshore operators that can be found through illegal affiliate websites or are organically searchable via the term “casino without Cruks”. Among them were Booms Bet, Vegas Hero and Tomb Riches.
Cruks is the national self-exclusion register for players in the Netherlands. Illegal operators have been found to be deliberately targeting players who have sought to exclude themselves from licensed gambling operators in a number of markets.
In its investigation the KVA anonymously created player accounts with each illegal provider to check whether it was possible to register and bet without identity verification. It also sought to clarify a number of other discrepancies, including whether offshore sites share personal data with third parties.
A subsequent content analysis found all six of the illegal operators’ privacy policies allowed for the sharing of players’ personal data with third-party companies located in countries outside the EU, which indicated inadequate levels of data protection.
In its conclusion, the report states one of the most common risks faced by players betting with illegal operators is “extensive and unlimited data sharing with commercial partners”.
Terms and conditions policies of illegal gambling operators
The research also considered other aspects of the illegal operators’ legal and policy documents, including their general terms and conditions and available information on any offshore licences held by the operator.
It found a number of the operators had inconsistent terms and conditions that KVA described as “one-sided and unreasonable”. Some operators noted the potential to close accounts and withdraw player winnings without explanation, as well as delay or refuse payouts.
Additionally, the KVA warned that illegal operators’ lack of an approved gaming system means there is no guarantee of fair gaming, with black market companies able to manipulate game results.
Three of the six operators also allowed for deposit via a youth bank account, meaning players under the legal gambling age of 18 could bet illegally.
With illegal operators not supervised by the KSA, the KVA warned that players in the black market could not rely on legal safeguards or policies to prevent addiction.
The KSA has taken significant strides to protect bettors in the Netherlands, including the introduction of player deposit limits and a ban on sponsorship, although some industry stakeholders feel these measures are mainly benefitting illegal operators.
Are the new player protection measures helping or hindering?
The KVA’s new research follows the March release of findings from its study on illegal gambling domains, in which it revealed traffic to illegal sites has “increased significantly” since the 2024 introduction of deposit limits.
New measures were brought in last October, with monthly net deposits limited to €700 ($817.86), while this limit is reduced to €300 for those aged between 18 and 25.
The KVA’s research found traffic to illegal domains totalled 172,576 in October, climbing to 294,255 in November. This then rose to 412,997 by February.
The KVA also found the number of domains linked to illegal operators appearing in the top search results for “casino without limits” or “casino without Cruks” rose to 72 in March this year, from 19 last October.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/offshore-gaming/dutch-illegal-gambling-personal-data/
