Online gambling operator MRG’s subsidiary Mr Green casino has been handed a €312,500 fine by the Dutch gaming authority Kansspelautoriteit.
The fine was imposed after Dutch customers were found to have been offered the chance to play online games through Mr Green’s website, which was without a local licence.
The KSA’s findings were that Mr Green’s site in the Netherlands failed to block Dutch customers from gambling in a period between July and November 12017, with the site also found to have offered Dutch language options and payment processing options.
Mr Green said that the Dutch regulations were inconsistent with EU rules on restriction of trade, that the Dutch language options were intended for ex-pats and the geo-blocking successfully is a major challenge.
The fine was originally imposed on July 17, 2018, with MRG going to court in a bid to stop disclosure. However, a judge determined this week that the gaming authority could publish the fine.
MRG said in a statement: “Mr Green has in its opinion complied with the Dutch guidelines for online gaming except for the use of IP blocking.
“The Dutch gaming authority has previously issued guidelines for online gaming in the Netherlands. Mr Green Ltd is of the opinion that it has complied with these guidelines except for IP blocking, for which the company has been fined. Most gaming operators do not practice IP blocking in the Netherlands and the company will therefore appeal the decision.
“The Dutch market represents about six per cent of the MRG Group’s total revenue and its impact on profitability is insignificant. Revenue from the Netherlands amounted to approximately SEK26m in the second quarter.”
