The Dutch Gambling Authority, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has escalated its efforts to curb the promotion of illegal gambling by imposing an order subject to a penalty on YouTube influencer LeftlanePapi.
This action marks a significant step in the regulator’s crackdown on social media personalities who encourage unlicensed gambling activities.
According to the KSA, the influencer posted videos featuring livestreams of online gambling hosted by illegal providers. The regulator determined that this content went beyond mere display, actively advertising the illicit platforms and encouraging viewers to participate.
The penalty was enacted after LeftlanePapi failed to comply with a prior warning to remove the content from the channel. This refusal prompted the regulator to take more severe enforcement action.
This case underscores the KSA’s new two-track policy for addressing influencers who violate gambling laws. Under this framework, the regulator first establishes a violation and issues a message to the influencer, demanding they cease their activities and remove the offending content within 48 hours.
If the influencer does not comply with this initial request, the KSA proceeds to the second step, which involves issuing a formal order subject to a penalty. Concurrently, the regulator will approach the social media platform in question to request the removal of the content.
The KSA has affirmed its intention to apply this policy to other influencers who fail to adhere to its directives, signalling a more stringent regulatory environment for online content creators in the gambling space.
The KSA commented:
Existing content must be removed, and no new advertising may be made. If this does happen, the influencer will receive a penalty of €25,000 per violation, with a maximum of €75,000. The KSA takes these reports very seriously because these influencers appeal to a (very) young target group with their activities. If influencers do not remove their content within 48 hours after a warning from the KSA, sanctioning action will be taken.
