The Dutch gambling authority KSA has fined website Betent (Betcity) €3 million for breaking laws on preventing money laundering and financing terrorism. 

By law, gambling firms must monitor their clients’ spending behaviour and report unusual transactions to the Dutch Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). 

Last year the KSA warned gambling firms to take the law more seriously and said they could face sanctions if they failed to research their clients properly. Betent was one of the companies that were warned and, the KSA said, has still failed to comply. 

For example, there are many instances in which the company was late in starting an investigation into large bets. In addition, it is “lax” in looking into client sources of income, the KSA said. 

Gambling firms boosted their profits by 26% last year, when compared with 2019, before coronavirus put paid to casino visits, the KSA said in October.

In total, licenced gambling firms raked in the equivalent of €258 per head of the adult population in 2022, a rise of €100 on 2021 as casinos opened their doors again. But this is still 14% down on the average EU spending on games of chance.