The Dutch Gaming Authority has landed its biggest ever penalty on an unlicensed operator, hitting Novatech with a €24.9m fine for running 55Bet and Qbet without proper authorisation. The authority found both sites freely accessible to Dutch punters with none of the safeguards required under the country’s regulated market.

What particularly caught the KSA’s attention was the complete absence of age verification, the acceptance of cryptocurrency payments, and the allowance of anonymous transactions. These factors pushed the fine to record territory, though KSA Chairman Michel Groothuizen made clear he wanted to go further. Under current rules, the authority can only fine operators 10% of their global turnover. Groothuizen reckons the penalty could have reached €100m if the KSA had more leeway, given the estimated revenue Novatech pulled from Dutch players specifically.

Revenue-Based Penalties Mark Shift in Enforcement

The fine itself represents a calculated approach by the Dutch regulator. Rather than applying a flat penalty, the KSA based the amount on estimated revenues from Dutch customers.

It’s a strategy that reflects the authority’s determination to make unlicensed operations genuinely unprofitable, not just inconvenient.

The regulator isn’t working alone either. The KSA has been coordinating with payment processors, hosting companies, banks, and major tech platforms to squeeze unlicensed operators out of the market. The authority also put influencers on notice that promoting illegal gambling sites could land them in hot water too.

Second Operator Caught in Enforcement Sweep

Novatech wasn’t the only target. The KSA also fined Fortaprime SRL €1.8m for running eight unlicensed gambling sites, including AmonBet and GXSpins. Both operators had previously received warnings from the KSA, which they promptly ignored.

The big question now is whether either operator will actually pay up. Neither Novatech nor Fortaprime maintains a physical presence in the Netherlands. Both are registered offshore. Collecting these fines could prove considerably harder than issuing them. Still, the KSA is clearly sending a message to the wider market about the consequences of operating without a licence in the Dutch market. With record penalties on the table and a coordinated enforcement strategy taking shape, the cost of ignoring Dutch gambling regulations just got considerably steeper.