Pieter-Paul de Goey, director of the Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA), has called for a strong response from the gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) following research indicating that illegal operators are allowing minors to gamble. The research, conducted by Keurmerk Responsible Affiliates (KVA) and shared with NOGA and the Association of Licensed Dutch Gaming Provider Operators (VNLOK), revealed that children in the Netherlands are potentially gambling with offshore operators.
The study highlighted that the absence of stringent age verification measures required by legal operators has enabled minors to create accounts with offshore operators using just an email address or phone number. This has allowed individuals under the legal gambling age of 18 to make deposits and place bets. The research also found that offshore operators often accept cryptocurrency deposits anonymously, which can be set up following a simple Google search. The findings have been submitted to the KSA, prompting expectations for decisive regulatory action to address these violations and protect minors from gambling activities.
