The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has maintained a penalty payment order against JEF Holdings over advertising for illegal gambling, including through the website Casinoscout.nl.
The Dutch regulator said JEF Holdings will face a penalty of €75,000 ($85,500) per week if it continues advertising illegal casinos, up to a maximum of €225,000.
The measure follows a decision first issued in May 2025 and published in July 2025. JEF Holdings objected to the sanction and publication decision, but the KSA has now rejected that objection, leaving the enforcement action in place.
The case may still be appealed before the court.
The enforcement action concerns Article 1(1)(b) of the Dutch Gambling Act, which prohibits promoting or facilitating unlicensed games of chance.
The provision allows the regulator to act not only against operators taking bets from Dutch consumers, but also against parties directing traffic to those operators through advertising and affiliate marketing activities.
According to the KSA's published decision, the case relates to the promotion of illegal gambling through Casinoscout.nl.
The regulator also identified links to enforcement proceedings involving SBM Holding Group and Sun Block Media Labs 2.0, which were subject to related actions concerning the same website.
The decision comes as the Netherlands continues to strengthen its response to illegal gambling activity. Since the regulated online market launched in October 2021, the KSA has increased enforcement against both offshore operators and businesses that support them.
The regulator's strategy has increasingly focused on the wider ecosystem surrounding illegal gambling.
Recent enforcement efforts have targeted marketing channels, software providers, payment processors, internet service providers and hosting companies in an effort to reduce the visibility and accessibility of unlicensed operators.
The Dutch market is also undergoing broader regulatory change. Policymakers have continued to debate stricter player protection measures and additional advertising restrictions, while the Government has signalled support for stronger intervention against illegal gambling activity.
The action against JEF Holdings forms part of that wider enforcement approach, with affiliate marketing remaining a key area of focus for regulators seeking to limit consumer exposure to unlicensed gambling offers.
The KSA has also sought to strengthen its understanding of illegal gambling networks through academic collaboration. In May, the regulator held a workshop with students at TU Delft to explore methods of disrupting the infrastructure that supports illegal operators, including marketing and technical service providers.
The KSA's 2025 annual report found that around 91% of Dutch gamblers use only licensed providers despite continued activity from offshore operators
