Trannel International Ltd, a subsidiary of Kindred Group, finds itself in hot water with Dutch online gaming authorities. The operator is on the receiving end of a €470,000 fine imposed by Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands gambling authority. The fine was issued for a violation of the country’s 1964 Gambling Act.
The KSA has been stepping up investigations and enforcement over the past year or so. Electraworks was fined € 350,000 for offering illegal online casino services to Dutch players.
Kindred Claims Full Compliance
Kindred Group, which is based in Malta and consists of 11 well-known brands including Unibet and 32Red, published a press release regarding the matter saying that the company is “fully compliant with the rules set out by the Ministry of Justice and Security earlier this year.”
The statement goes on to say, “Kindred remains committed to having a constructive dialogue with the regulator and other stakeholders. While anticipating the establishment of a regulated online gambling market in 2021, Kindred aims to play a leading role in promoting Dutch gambling policy objectives, such as consumer protection. For instance, Kindred emphasizes its ambition to reach zero per cent revenue from harmful gambling by 2024.”
Kindred plans to appeal the KSA’s decision and has even stated that they intend to obtain licenses for sports betting and iGaming in the Netherlands as soon as the Dutch online gambling market opens, which is expected to be sometime in the first quarter of 2021.
More On Kindred Group
Trannel International Ltd ran into problems this past April when the company was ordered to terminate all operations in Norway for violating the country’s gambling regulations.
In June, the Unibet brand went live in the U.S. state of New Jersey and also became the first U.K. operator to beef up its self-exclusion process by integrating blocking software.
Kindred Group also became the 25th member to join iDEA in August. iDEA, which stands for iDevelopment and Economic Association, is a trade group made up of major industry players including both operators and game developers seeking to grow jobs and expand online interactive entertainment business in the United States through advocacy and education. The members of iDEA Growth primarily work on shaping and supporting sustainable federal legislation.
Liv Biesemans, deputy general counsel, expressed the company’s excitement about joining the iGaming advocacy group, saying, “Kindred Group is delighted to join iDEA and contribute more than 20 years of experience gained from global markets. We have continuously advocated for fact-based policymaking, and with our core focus on sustainability and responsible gambling, we believe we can make a meaningful contribution to iDEA.”
She finished by saying that the company is proud to be part of a group that “uses its unified voice to ensure that the customer will experience a safe, regulated and sustainable gambling experience.”