The Dutch gambling regulator has imposed a €4 million penalty on Malta-based Unibet operator, Optdeck Service Limited, for failing to act on clear signs of excessive gambling. The company says the interpretation of the rules has changed since the period under review. It acknowledges it could have acted sooner but disagrees with parts of the ruling.
After FDJ acquired Kindred, Unibet became part of the newly formed FDJ United group. This marked a significant shift in its corporate structure. The company told SiGMA News that it does not agree with several aspects of the Dutch regulator’s conclusions. These conclusions relate to its past conduct. At the same time, it acknowledged that its earlier monitoring practices contained shortcomings that no longer meet today’s standards. Unibet stressed that it takes its duty of care very seriously. It commits to ensuring a safe and responsible gaming environment for all players. The company said that, with the knowledge and improved tools they now have, they could have acted sooner in several of the cases reviewed by the regulator. Even so, they maintain that certain findings in the ruling do not align with how the rules were understood at the time.
The operator emphasized that the KSA ruling concerns a period when the regulatory framework was far less specific than it is today. It said it applied the rules to the best of its understanding during that period. However, the KSA now applies a stricter interpretation than what operators commonly followed back then. Since those earlier years, Dutch lawmakers have tightened legislation and regulations considerably. As of October 2024, operators must follow a clearer, more detailed framework for setting and enforcing gambling limits.
Unibet highlighted major internal reforms implemented over the past year, focusing especially on improvements in monitoring and risk detection. Since September of last year, the company has been using a new system. The system is designed to identify risky gambling behavior more rapidly. It also triggers more decisive interventions. Unibet has also introduced additional protective measures to enhance player safety. According to Unibet, the issues highlighted by the KSA in its ruling are no longer possible. Their updated systems and procedures prevent them.
