Three influencers have found themselves in trouble with the Dutch Gaming Authority, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), after posting videos of themselves on YouTube engaging with illegal online casinos.
Stiefunspeelt, Turcos and Buurtwachtt were all flagged after posting their content to social media.
Stiefunspeelt posted videos playing at Skyhills, an online casino that offers online slots from providers such as Play'n Go, Spinomenal, Spribe and 1X2 Gaming, just to name a few.
The videos were accompanied by instructions on how to join the site, including a link to the creator's Discord server with additional information.
Both Buurtwachtt and Turcos uploaded videos to YouTube and Instagram, also including footage from Skyhills, along with direct links to take viewers to the website.
As the case is of public interest, the KSA informed Turcos that the investigation would be published on the website, but the creator lodged an objection against this decision.
Neither of the other two content creators have submitted objections at the time of writing.
The streamers are being reprimanded because they are promoting an online casino that does not operate with a licence issued by the KSA, but upon closer investigation, SkyHills does not have a licence from any jurisdiction - not even Curaçao.
The site accepts fiat payments through Visa and Mastercard, as well as cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
Although the actual owners of the site are ambiguous, as is the case with many illegal online casinos, it appears that the majority of the site has been facilitated by open-source translation software.
For example, while the site does offer responsible gambling resources, they read as such: "In the medical science is pathologic gambling since many years as serious sickness recognised. Since our first day we think about this problematic and try out best to help."
If the influencers do not take down the videos within 48 hours, or if they advertise illegal casinos again, then they will be hit with fines between €25,000 and €75,000 .
While this may seem steep, the KSA notes that all three influencers have been explicitly warned in the past about advertising illegal casinos.
Buurtwachtt, who goes under the self-proclaimed nicknames "Mr.MakeMoney A.K.A The best vlogger in the Netherlands", has around 49,000 followers on YouTube but regularly streams casino content directly on Kick, a platform founded by Stake owner Ed Craven to allow people to stream without any guidelines on what they show.
Turcos also has around 45,000 followers on YouTube, but seems to focus a lot of his content towards his Snapchat and TikTok audiences.
StiefunSpeelt has since deleted most of his vidoes on YouTube, possibly in reaction to the KSA.
While it is important to take action against people who advertise illegal platforms such as this one, regulators are also starting to take action against the slot providers who allow their games to be hosted on these sites.
Last year, in the UK, the Gambling Commission launched an official review into Evolution after its games were found on illegal casinos.
The provider had to undergo a full investigation and risked having its licence revoked for UK casinos, which prompted many large-scale providers to begin withdrawing their games from unlicensed platforms.
The KSA has flagged the three individuals as "likely to offend again" in the official reports
