The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has issued a formal reprimand to online operator 711 following a breach of the country’s strict advertising regulations.
The regulatory action centers on 711’s use of a “role model” in its marketing campaigns—a practice that has been heavily restricted in the Netherlands since 2022 to protect vulnerable groups, particularly minors.
According to the KSA, the operator partnered with a well-known video game streamer who commands a significant following among young audiences.
The regulator’s investigation revealed that the influencer regularly interacts with individuals under the age of 18 during their streams, making them an unsuitable partner for promoting gambling services under current Dutch law.
The KSA’s rules explicitly forbid the use of role models, including influencers, athletes, and celebrities, who have a substantial reach among minors or young adults.
Upon identifying the violation, the KSA instructed 711 to immediately cease the campaign. The operator was ordered to remove all promotional content featuring the influencer from circulation.
The KSA confirmed that 711 has complied with the directive, terminating the collaboration and scrubbing the offending material from its channels.
The regulator emphasized that such marketing tactics pose a direct risk of normalizing gambling behavior among youth, a core concern of the Dutch regulatory framework.
In addition to the marketing violation, the KSA also addressed a separate issue regarding 711’s promotional tournaments. The regulator flagged that players were being automatically enrolled in these tournaments without their explicit consent or registration.
This “opt-out” mechanism meant that players were participating, and potentially being exposed to bonus conditions, without actively agreeing to them.
The KSA warned that such practices could inadvertently encourage excessive gambling behavior by removing the friction of conscious decision-making. 711 has reportedly acknowledged this concern and confirmed to the regulator that it has discontinued the automatic enrollment practice.
This enforcement action serves as a reminder of the KSA’s vigilant approach to compliance.
As the Dutch market continues to mature, operators are under increasing pressure to ensure their marketing strategies and operational mechanics align strictly with the principles of responsible gambling and consumer protection.
Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) Statement:
“The KSA has informed 711 that all content in which the influencer promotes the gambling provider must be removed. This means, among other things, that the promotional material may no longer appear in videos. 711 has confirmed that the collaboration has been terminated and has begun removing the relevant content.”
“This can lead to excessive gambling behaviour. 711 has confirmed that it has stopped this practice.”
