The Netherlands Gambling Authority (Ksa) has issued three providers with instructions under the Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (Prevention) Act (Wwft).

Investigations have shown that they have not complied with the Wwft (and its guidelines). Therefore, they have now been ordered to end these violations. The Ksa recognizes market-wide that there is still room for improvement in the Wwft area and urges providers to be vigilant in this regard.

A key objective of the Ksa is to combat illegal activity and crime. In this context, the Ksa also monitors Wwft compliance by gambling providers. Gambling providers are required to monitor player transactions and report unusual transactions to the Netherlands Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

The Ksa conducted an extensive investigation into Wwft compliance by three gambling providers. Various documents were requested, including player files, internal documents on Wwft policy, and risk assessments. Several Wwft violations were identified during the investigation. The instructions now issued by the Ksa instruct providers to adhere to the Wwft guidelines and to end violations. If subsequent inspections reveal that this is not the case, a more severe sanction may be imposed, such as a penalty or fine.

The instructions themselves are not yet published, as the Wwft stipulates that this may only be done once they are final. However, the Ksa is already publishing information about the fact that they have been issued, as it sees market-wide that providers’ compliance with the Wwft could be improved. In this context, the regulator organized a Wwft webinar at the end of 2024, in which the legal standard was explained and best practices were shared.

The Wwft Guidelines were also updated at the end of 2023 based on its own research, feedback from consumers, and suggestions from providers. The Ksa has observed, among other areas, that providers do not always conduct thorough investigations into the source of players’ funds. The Ksa also sees shortcomings in the area of risk classification of players and the coordination of measures accordingly.