The Dutch Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit or KSA) has imposed a €21,500 fine on Casino Zoetermeer.
The measure happened after the authority determined that the venue allowed players registered in the country's national self-exclusion system, Cruks, to access its gaming hall.
The regulator originally issued a €25,000 penalty following an investigation launched in 2022. However, a Dutch court later reduced the amount to €21,500 after finding that the legal proceedings had exceeded a reasonable timeframe, while rejecting the casino's substantive appeal.
According to the KSA, the operator failed to carry out adequate identity verification during entry checks, allowing two individuals registered in Cruks to gamble despite being legally barred from participating in high-risk gambling activities.
Under Dutch gambling legislation, all online operators, casinos and gaming arcades offering high-risk gambling products must verify whether customers are listed in Cruks before granting access.
Cruks, also known as the Dutch gambling self-exclusion register, allows individuals to voluntarily exclude themselves from gambling as a safeguard against gambling-related harm. The register currently contains around 118,000 people.
The KSA said its investigation began after receiving complaints from two players who alleged that Casino Zoetermeer was not properly checking identities before granting entry.
"The regulator considers it a serious matter when Cruks checks are not carried out correctly," the KSA said, adding that people who register for self-exclusion must be able to trust that licensed operators will prevent them from gambling.
Recently, the KSA also targeted illegal gambling advertising appearing in mobile gaming apps, warning that such promotions can reach vulnerable consumers.
The authority described Cruks as an important responsible gambling tool and said it will continue closely monitoring compliance and issuing enforcement action where necessary
