The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has once again made clear that, in its view, licensed operators — not influencers — carry full responsibility for how online gambling is promoted in the Netherlands.
In a recent enforcement action, the KSA issued a formal warning to 711 B.V., an online casino operator, after the company used a popular streamer as a “role model” in its marketing. Dutch rules explicitly ban the use of influencers, athletes and other public figures in gambling advertising, due to their strong appeal to young people and vulnerable groups.
Yet the regulator’s measures focus squarely on the company. The KSA ordered 711 to terminate the collaboration and remove all videos and images featuring the influencer. The individual content creator faces no direct sanction from the regulator; instead, the operator is reminded that it remains fully liable for all of its marketing, including material produced by third parties or affiliates.
The warning also covers another practice: automatically enrolling customers into online tournaments without explicit registration or acceptance of bonus terms, which the KSA says can encourage inappropriate gambling behaviour. 711 has reportedly stopped this mechanic following the regulator’s intervention.
This is not the first time 711 has been called out. Earlier this year, the KSA criticised the operator after gambling banners appeared on a website linked to primary school homework, again stressing that licensees must proactively prevent exposure of minors to betting ads.
The pattern is clear: in the Dutch model, corporate accountability is the primary enforcement tool, while influencers remain in the spotlight only indirectly.
