The operator was found to have allowed self-excluded players to sign up during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Key points:
- Optdeck, the company behind the Unibet brand in the Netherlands, has been fined €400,000 by the KSA
- This is due to the site letting in players who were on the self-exclusion list, known as Cruks
- Optdeck said that it came across too many error messages when doing the standard Cruks checks, so switched to a different method which had less errors
The Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA), has fined Optdeck Service Limited €400,000 ($416,204) for letting players in Cruks play at its brand, Unibet.
The Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen (CRUKS) is a self-exclusion tool that players in the Netherlands can use to stop land-based and online casinos from admitting them entry.
This is done through BSN numbers, which are cross-referenced against the Cruks register when a player tries to sign-up or log-in to gambling websites.
On 28 June 2023, a player informed the KSA that they were able to play at Unibet despite being on the self-exclusion register.
An investigation found that Unibet did not carry out these checks during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which meant that it allowed a total of 15 players registered with Cruks to wager on the platform.
There are several ways to check whether a player is on Cruks. After coming across error messages when trying to use the method with BSN numbers, Optdeck used an API “ConsultDocumentRequest” method which the KSA says is no longer in use. Optdeck explained that by using this method, the amount of error messages decreased.
Good to know: A total of 85,469 people are currently on the Cruks register
According to Optdeck, due to the increased number of players trying to sign up during the event, the operator encountered several ‘error messages’ when consulting Cruks during this period.
Optdeck has indicated that it acquiesces in the sanction decision and will not object to the fine at this point in time.
Recently, the KSA also penalised FBC BV for offering games of chance without the legally required permit in the Netherlands.
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