Kindred Group to appeal €470,000 Dutch fine

Kindred Group has launched an appeal against a €470,000 fine for illegal activity in the Netherlands, yet added that it remains committed to securing a licence in the country once new igaming laws come into effect.

Earlier today (19 August), the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) issued a €470,000 (£430,344/$521,950) fine to Kindred's Trannel International subsidiary after an investigation by the regulator found its Unibet.eu site targeted Dutch players between August 11 and December 27, 2018.

Kindred, however, claims that it is fully compliant with igaming rules set out by the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security earlier in the year. It aims to play a leading role in key regulatory goals, such as consumer protection, it added, and is committed to holding constructive dialogue with the KSA and other stakeholders as online regulations are developed.

With secondary legislation currently being developed by the Ministry of Justice and Security, as well as KSA policy rules on licence applications and eligbility requirements, it has decided to appeal the fine.

The secondary legislation will add more detail to the broader regulatory framework of the Remote Gambling Act, passed by the Dutch Senate in February this year. The Dutch government aims to have the secondary laws brought into force from 1 July, 2020, after which the KSA will be able to process licence applications ahead of the market opening from 1 January, 2021.