The Netherlands Gambling Authority, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has issued a formal warning to licensed online operator TonyBet for offering bets that are in direct violation of Dutch gambling regulations.
The action underscores the regulator’s ongoing commitment to strictly enforcing market compliance and ensuring all offered wagers adhere to legal standards.
The specific infraction involved TonyBet listing betting options on the winners of the Ballon d’Or and the Ballon d’Or awarded at the FIFA Club World Cup.
According to Dutch law, licensed sports betting is restricted to official sporting competitions where the outcome is determined by objective and verifiable on-field performance.
Awards like the Ballon d’Or, which are decided by the votes of journalists or other jury members rather than direct sporting results, do not meet this legal criterion and are therefore considered prohibited betting markets in the Netherlands.
Following contact from the KSA, TonyBet acted promptly to address the issue. The operator confirmed that no wagers had actually been placed on the non-compliant betting options and removed them from its platform.
Furthermore, the company has committed to enhancing its internal monitoring systems to prevent similar violations from occurring in the future. As a result of this swift corrective action, the KSA resolved the matter with a formal warning rather than pursuing further sanctions.
This case is the latest example of the KSA’s active oversight of the licensed Dutch market. The regulator recently issued warnings to operators Zebet and Starcasino for temporarily preventing players from making withdrawals.
Before that, Optdeck received a double warning for breaches related to gambling advertising and the use of autoplay features.
This is also not the first time TonyBet has been contacted by the regulator; in February, the KSA issued a warning to the operator for failing to provide 24/7 customer service via telephone in the Dutch language, highlighting the broad scope of the authority’s enforcement activities.
