The Netherlands Gambling Authority (Ksa) issued a binding instruction to Hillside New Media Malta Plc (Hillside) on November 13, 2025, for failing to adequately respond to signals that players can (or may no longer) afford the financial consequences of their gambling behaviour.

Hillside also failed to take sufficient intervention measures when this signal was identified. Hillside offers games of chance in the Netherlands under the brand name bet365.

Gambling providers have a duty of care and must protect players as much as possible from excessive gambling and gambling addiction.

A key element of this duty of care is actively monitoring players’ gambling behavior, such as determining whether this behavior is proportionate to their financial situation. Therefore, policy rules apply to net deposits per calendar month: for amounts exceeding €300 (young adults aged 18-23) or €700 (aged 24 and older), a provider can perform a means test to determine an appropriate net deposit limit. This test verifies whether a player can deposit more money without encountering financial difficulties. If the check is not carried out, the provider must block deposits for the remainder of the month.

The Dutch Gaming Authority (Ksa) has inspected how Hillside is fulfilling this duty of care. This inspection revealed that Hillside has not adequately fulfilled this duty of care. For example, before March 2025, Hillside asked players to complete a questionnaire about their income.

The Ksa already informed gambling providers in early 2025 that a questionnaire is not suitable for conducting a means-test. It was also found that the calculation of the net deposit limit was performed incorrectly. This allowed players to deposit more than they could possibly afford based on their financial situation.

Hillside must now comply with its duty of care within four weeks of the date of the instruction by adequately completing the means-test.

This means that the company must, in the manner prescribed by the Ksa, record and analyze signals that may indicate the player can (possibly) no longer bear the financial consequences of their gambling behavior and must then take appropriate intervention measures. If Hillside fails to comply with this instruction, stricter sanctions may follow, such as a fine or, in extreme cases, even the revocation of its license to offer remote gambling in the Netherlands.