Betca, the operator of the Circus.nl platform, has removed a gambling ad from the mobile game Tiny Tower after the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) issued a formal warning over a regulatory breach.
According to the KSA, the questionable ad promoted the online gambling website, an act that was found to violate the Dutch advertising regulations that clearly prohibit the promotion of gambling in digital, non-gambling environments, especially where the customers may include young adults or minors.
As per Betca, the issue was attributed to “human error”, and as such, it acted instantly and removed the advertisement from its platform. Additionally, the company also said that since the incident, it had implemented safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Moreover, Betca also stated that the controversial ad was aimed at customers over the age of 24 who had previously registered with or visited the Circus.nl website.
Yet, although the company clearly outlined its intent, airing the ad within Tiny Tower, a mobile game with a user base that consists mostly of young adults, was still in breach of the Dutch advertising regulations.
Due to the swift reaction of Betca, the Kansspelautoriteit decided not to take further action or impose any major sanctions. However, the KSA still stressed that it remains alert and will proceed to monitor the advertising practices of Betca and its competitors in the future.
The news of Betca’s violation comes at a time when the KSA is diligently working on new initiatives to raise awareness of responsible gambling throughout the country, with some of the most notable examples being the proposal to increase age restrictions for high-risk gambling activities and tighten the monitoring of illegal gaming machines.
