Key Moments:
- The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) imposed financial penalties on influencers Stiefunspeelt, Turcos, and Buurtwachtt for promoting illegal gambling operators.
- If any new prohibited content is posted, each influencer will incur further fines of €25,000 per violation, up to a €75,000 maximum.
- The KSA began investigating behavioral influence tactics by gambling operators, focusing on player monitoring and potential harm.
Regulator Acts on Repeated Violations
The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has stepped up its enforcement efforts by penalizing three Dutch influencers who distributed content promoting unauthorized gambling platforms. Stiefunspeelt, Turcos, and Buurtwachtt received both warnings and monetary fines following the posting of videos across social media that encouraged engagement with operators lacking legal status in the Netherlands.
Authorities gave the influencers a 48-hour window to remove any unlawful material. Despite earlier cautions, all three had continued to endorse unlicensed providers. New enforcement measures stipulate that repeat offenses will result in fines of €25,000 for each fresh violation, up to a ceiling of €75,000 for each individual.
By escalating such penalties, the KSA aims to deter others from engaging in similar promotional activities.
Industry Impacts and Strategic Response
The regulator’s focus on illegal gambling content is partly driven by the need to protect the regulated market. With rising tax rates and stricter compliance requirements, licensed operators are under increasing pressure. Authorities have flagged influencer marketing as especially risky, as it can expose younger or vulnerable audiences to unlicensed products.
A regulatory report from July indicated that 93% of Dutch players place bets exclusively with approved operators, attributing this to more robust enforcement and increased oversight. However, key market participants have expressed concerns that higher gambling taxes could undermine this progress by inadvertently steering players to unregulated alternatives.
Recent Enforcement Activities
This round of penalties continues a pattern of visible actions against digital personalities promoting illegal gambling services. In July, the KSA issued sanctions against LeftlanePapi for similar infractions involving video content.
By targeting prominent cases, the KSA communicates its intention to pursue a zero-tolerance approach and discourage widespread noncompliance.
Focus on Behavioral Influence
The KSA is expanding its oversight beyond influencer promotions by launching an investigation into how gambling operators influence player decision-making. The inquiry, announced last week, examines operators’ methods for tracking user behavior as well as the impact – whether positive, neutral, or detrimental – of these techniques.
An essential element of this review is determining if operator strategies breach legal responsibilities to safeguard vulnerable users. This includes requirements for providers to intervene when customers exhibit damaging gambling patterns.
KSA Chairman Michel Groothuizen commented:
“At the KSA, we understand that online providers, like other commercial companies, monitor what users do on their platforms and how they can influence that to their advantage.”
Implications for Licensed Operators
The developments highlight the need for gambling companies to exercise increased caution in their marketing approaches. Affiliating with influencers who may inadvertently or deliberately promote illegal content exposes both brands and personalities to regulatory scrutiny.
There is growing pressure for operators to proactively monitor social media and third-party content to ensure compliance with advertising and legal standards. The KSA’s new enforcement strategies suggest that regulatory obligations will increasingly extend to practices like personalized marketing, targeted ads, and in-product nudges.
Future Outlook
Influencer marketing, in particular, is positioned for heightened regulatory attention as the KSA enforces stricter boundaries. The recent fines against Stiefunspeelt, Turcos, and Buurtwachtt clearly illustrate the regulator’s readiness to act against recurrent breaches.
Operators are encouraged to take practical steps:
- Refrain from informal or unapproved partnerships with influencers
- Supervise all third-party references to their gambling brands
- Align engagement and promotional practices with duty of care obligations
With the regulated market already affected by tax increases, ongoing aggressive enforcement against illegal advertising and behavioral influence points to sustained regulatory pressure throughout 2025.
| Influencer | Penalty per Violation | Maximum Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Stiefunspeelt | €25,000 | €75,000 |
| Turcos | €25,000 | €75,000 |
| Buurtwachtt | €25,000 | €75,000 |
- Author
Daniel Williams
