The Dutch playing authority has imposed a €4 million sanction on Optdeck Service Limited, the firm behind Unibet in the Netherlands, after concluding that the operator didn’t adjust to obligatory player-protection guidelines over a two-year interval. The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) stated Optdeck didn’t meet its obligation of care between July 14, 2022, and July 1, 2024, a requirement meant to restrict extreme playing and assist forestall habit.
The regulator reviewed a number of participant information, together with instances involving people who recorded the largest losses throughout the assessed interval. Every file, based on the Ksa, confirmed related issues: Optdeck didn’t intervene when playing conduct signaled clear monetary danger. Multiple clients deposited giant sums—generally hundreds of euros in a single day—with out the operator promptly inspecting whether or not these stakes had been sustainable.
The Ksa stated earnings checks had been incessantly requested solely weeks after dangerous conduct had already been detected, by which period gamers had suffered main monetary hurt. This sample aligned with findings throughout the reviewed information, together with these requested in an earlier evaluation of ten high-loss accounts.
The regulator additionally concluded that carried out safeguards had been inadequate. In a number of instances, interventions amounted to a quick pop-up message that gamers may simply dismiss. Additionally, the firm included monetary sources that aren’t allowed underneath Dutch guidelines when assessing affordability, corresponding to cash from enterprise accounts.
Ksa chair Michel Groothuizen emphasised the significance of well timed and correct monetary assessments. In the Dutch-language ruling, he stated: “When there are signs of excessive gambling behavior and someone wagers a very large amount of money in a short period of time, a provider must investigate the source of the money in a timely manner. This can be done by requesting income information. It is essential that providers carry out this analysis properly, because not all financial resources may simply be counted. The Ksa takes violations of the duty of care very seriously and will continue to take firm action against them.”
Fine Follows Earlier Enforcement Actions
The €4 million positive provides to a collection of regulatory measures directed at Optdeck this yr. In September, the operator confronted a €450,000 penalty after the Ksa discovered that Unibet had supplied soccer wagers not permitted in the Netherlands. These bets concerned matches with gamers underneath 21 in addition to markets on nook kicks and yellow playing cards—classes banned underneath nationwide integrity and youth-protection guidelines.
Regulators recognized greater than 200 under-21 matches in which prohibited betting choices had been out there, together with fixtures corresponding to Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Southampton in October 2023 and Sunderland vs. Bristol City in February 2024. Although Unibet said in December 2024 that it had eliminated a majority of these bets, the Ksa later confirmed their continued availability throughout the Chelsea vs. Manchester United match on May 15, 2025. The September positive was imposed on August 19 and made public early the following month.
Optdeck additionally acquired two formal warnings in June for points involving promoting and autoplay performance. One warning associated to a Unibet-branded workforce coach related to the Dutch biking workforce Unibet Tietema–Rockets. The automobile, meant solely for home workforce transport, was used in different settings, ensuing in a breach of the nation’s ban on untargeted playing promotion. Optdeck instructed the regulator it had been unaware of the automobile’s broader use and famous that totally overseeing sponsored exercise will be difficult.
Earlier this yr the model additionally acquired a hefty positive in Australia, value 1 million {dollars}, as a result of the native regulator discovered that the operator, Betchoice Corporation Pty Ltd, uncared for to promptly deactivate a whole bunch of accounts belonging to people who had chosen to limit their playing exercise.
Market Impact and Ongoing Scrutiny
The newest enforcement motion indicators continued strain on operators to strengthen their monitoring techniques and guarantee well timed responses when gamers show high-risk conduct. Following the announcement, shares of Unibet’s mum or dad firm, FDJ United, traded decrease on the Paris change, dropping simply over 4 % to €23.44 on Tuesday morning.
With recurring violations cited throughout a number of investigations, the Ksa has indicated it is going to preserve intensive oversight of the operator’s practices.
