LeoVegas has emphasised to iGaming Expert that it will continue its appeal against the Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), after the operator was fined six figures for failing to comply with its duty of care.
The regulator said in a statement that LeoVegas failed to comply with its duty of care across all player files requested between October 2023 and May 2024 and has been fined €500,000 as a result.
Failings listed by the KSA included not taking timely action on a player depositing and losing thousands of euros over a short period of time, as well as not implementing effective enough interventions, as one player showing “serious signs of excessive gambling” initially only received a pop-up that was easy to dismiss.
However, LeoVegas has told iGaming Expert that it disagrees with the ruling of the regulator and it will continue its appeal against the fine.
A LeoVegas spokesperson said: “LeoVegas Group takes responsible gaming and our Duty of Care obligations very seriously. While we fully respect the regulatory framework in the Netherlands and always seek to work closely with our regulators, we disagree with the KSA’s findings and the fine remains under appeal.
“Since the KSA initiated the review, we have continued to develop and enhance our responsible gaming processes, which remain subject to ongoing evaluation and development.”
Michel Groothuizen, Chair of the KSA, emphasised that operators must do everything they can to make sure the duty of care is held to the highest possible standard.
“The duty of care is an essential component of the broader spectrum of player protection,” stated Groothuizen.
“Providers must respond appropriately to excessive gambling. Significant losses in a short period of time are a key indicator of this. We have intensified our oversight of this duty of care and are taking a firm stance against gambling providers, as such a crucial element cannot be neglected.”
