KSA Penalizes Starscream for Offering Gaming without a License

The Netherlands’ Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit or KSA) has issued a weekly financial penalty to yet another operator said to have violated the country’s gaming rules. In this case, the KSA imposed the penalty on an operator accused of operating illegally in the Dutch market.

The Operator Offered Gaming without a License

According to the KSA, Starscream Limited offered online gaming to players in the Netherlands despite lacking the license necessary to do so. The authority understood that the lack of a license didn’t prevent Starscream’s online gaming brands, namely rantcasino, sugarcasino and allstarzcasino, from accepting Dutch players.

The KSA investigated the three websites and learned that it was possible for players in the Netherlands to register a player account, make monetary deposits and participate in the games offered on the three sites. The authority furthermore failed to identify any measures set in place to prevent the sites from taking money from Dutch players.

Since the Netherlands has strict rules on gambling in place, it prohibits offshore operators from targeting the local market. Those that do are considered to be in breach of the law and are often subjected to warnings and penalties.

The KSA therefore issued a weekly penalty on Starscream, ordering it to depart from the Dutch market or face a fine of EUR 280K ($318.4K) a week, up to a maximum of EUR 840,000 ($955.3K).

The Watchdog Continues to Take Action Against Violators

The KSA remains committed to taking action against unlicensed operators whenever they are identified. It noted that its regulatory action usually results in operators pulling out of the Dutch market, lest they face fines.

A few days ago, the KSA issued a similar financial penalty to Gamusoft, an operator that similarly offered gaming to Dutch players, despite lacking a license from the authority.

Around the same time, the KSA also issued a warning to 711, a licensed gaming company that had committed an ad-related violation. The KSA understood that the operator’s ads had appeared on a website aimed at minors, which is a strict violation of the country’s gaming rules. The site on which the ads in question appeared was linked to homework assignments from primary schools.

While 711 had identified the violation and had already taken action to rectify the issue, it had failed to report the case to the KSA, which is a violation in itself. The KSA, however, acknowledged 711’s efforts and decided not to levy a fine against the gaming company.

Riskier Gaming Declines

In other news, the KSA just published its Spring 2025 report, highlighting the effect of the Netherlands’ latest safer gambling efforts. In this report, the regulator hailed the decline in riskier spending but acknowledged that offshore gaming remains a significant issue.

For reference, before the new measures, 4% of all accounts lost over EUR 1K a month. Following the safer gaming changes in October, the number of players losing over EUR 1K a month dropped to 1.2%.