“Orange Fever” is gripping the Netherlands after their emphatic 3-1 victory over the USA in the World Cup Round of 16. The Dutch team will face Argentina, one of the favorites in the sports betting scene, in the quarterfinals.
However, with the increase in the number of bets comes unauthorized activities and promotions, often aimed at minors. This commonly occurs with advertising for World Cup matches, which is prohibited, but nevertheless occurred through at least two providers, according to the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) – the Netherlands’ regulatory body.
During the last week, several operators have been reprimanded for violating established standards and laws for Dutch gaming. The rules state that a gambling company’s name or logo cannot appear in the same communication or image as a ‘famous model/athlete’ or ‘reputed brand’.
This rule applies to sponsoring an event or TV show. The generic term ‘role model’ covers famous Dutch football players and several providers have run betting advertisements alongside images of such players.
The operators were summoned to cease their violations and they complied. In addition, the KSA also addressed a sports betting company that was advertising on Twitter, initiating an investigation into its activity. Also a local cafe was running organized bets on the Dutch team – which was immediately stopped.
The KSA says that in total 14 warnings have been issued for illegal gambling activities in relation to the World Cup. The regulator has been particularly active recently, urging all online gaming providers to stop providing cashback bonuses last week.