Gambling firm Lalabet is being sued by Dutch lottery operator, Nederlandse Loterij, over targeting the local market while missing a license.
This was first covered by local media outlet Financieele Dagblad (FD), which said that the lawsuit is not only looking to chase Costa Rica-based Lalabet away from the Dutch market, but that the lottery has also demanded financial compensation due to lost turnover earnings.
However, Director of Nederlandse Loterij, Arjan Blok, added that money plays only a partial role in the lawsuit, and that protecting Dutch players from illegal offerings comes first.
The Director further added that the ultimate goal of the suit is to restrict the effect of the black market on the regulated side of the Dutch market, and that currently Lalabet represents ‘one of the biggest unlicensed gambling providers’ in the Netherlands.
LotteryDaily has reached out to Lalabet for comments.
The Dutch market, national regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), and the country’s Remote Gambling Act 2021 (KOA) are currently undergoing significant reforms led by Legal Protections Secretary Teun Struycken, designed to introduce safety improvements for players and vulnerable groups alike.
Some of them include the raising of the minimum age for “high-risk online games” to 21, the mandatory deposit limits, more gambling advert restrictions, and more powers being relayed to the KSA.
NOGA, a Dutch trade body representing a substantial part of the local igaming sector, has come out in support of Struycken’s reforms.
Eric Konings, NOGA Director, commented: “We fully endorse the view of this Cabinet that the protection of citizens is a shared responsibility of all parties that may influence that protection.”