Nederlands Loterij, the Dutch Lottery, is suing Lalabet, the Costa Rica-based gambling firm for operating in the Netherlands illegally. The state-owned lottery is calling for closure and restitution for lost revenue of Lalabet. It alleges significant financial damage caused by the unfair competitive environment. Reports claim that the provider, along with other unlicensed gambling firms in the Netherlands, is fueling this issue.
Arjan Block, CEO of Dutch Lottery, explained that the lawsuit is not about financial compensation. Instead, it aims to protect Dutch players by curbing illegal gambling activities that threaten the regulated industry.
The Dutch Lottery has targeted Lalabet before. Reports also claim it is one of the largest unlicensed gambling companies in the Netherlands. The KSA or Netherlands Gambling Authority penalized Casbit Group for breaking gambling laws in 2023. It is the parent company of the firm.
Despite the legal action, Lalabet switched to another gambling group after Casbit collapsed. It continues to target Dutch players. Dutch Lottery is looking strict legal measures that force the company out of the Netherlands for good for this reason.
The Dutch Lottery emphasizes that this lawsuit is essential to restricting illegal gambling operators. It argues that these operators fail to uphold player protection policies. Without proper safeguards in place, these platforms become easily accessible to at-risk individuals, specifically young adults. This leads to gambling addiction.
Blok also argued that illegal operators create an uneven playing field, putting legal companies at a disadvantage by ignoring regulations. These firms attract players with unrestricted bonuses. They also target at-risk gamblers by operating without strict advertising and deposit rules. Blok stresses that stronger enforcement of current regulations such as IP blocking and penalties is necessary.
