Dutch regulator issues potential €1m penalty to JOI Gaming
The Dutch Gaming Authority (Ksa) imposes a penalty on JOI Gaming Limited for using role models to promote the Jack’s Racing Day event.
The use of role models in gambling advertisements for, for example, casinos, sports betting or online gambling is prohibited. The Ksa keeps a close eye on the market and takes immediate, strict action to protect vulnerable groups such as young people.
Order subject to penalty
JOI Gaming used several role models to advertise Jack’s Racing Day 2023. For example, role models signed caps with the event logo and the brand name Jack’s. Photos have also been posted on the website and social media channels of Jack’s Racing Day, showing role models posing with hostesses in corporate clothing with the Jack’s logo.
These posts were still up when the charge was imposed. If JOI Gaming Limited does not immediately remove these statements, the company must pay a penalty of 50,000 euros per day.
The penalty may amount to a maximum of 250,000 euros. If the violation is repeated in the run-up to or during future editions of Jack’s Racing Day, JOI Gaming Limited must also pay a penalty of 200,000 euros per day with a maximum of 1,000,000 euros.
To protect vulnerable groups such as young people and risk and problem players, strict rules apply to the use of role models for gambling advertising. Role models include celebrities, (former) professional football players, influencers and models. In high-risk games of chance, such as casinos and online games of chance, the use of role models is prohibited. They may be used under strict conditions for lower-risk games of chance, such as lotteries.