Last year, Facebook group Baco Zaalbingo were investigated by Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), after illegal bingo games were being live streamed on their profile.
A timeline of events
In an effort to combat illegal online activities, including online lotteries, also referred to as ‘dipping’, KSA and Facebook struck a partnership in 2020. Within the first few months of this partnership, 13 cases were flagged, and their respective Facebook groups hosting such illegal activities were taken down and banned from the social platform.
In 2022, KSA took notice of illegal Bingo activities on Baco’s Zaalbingo’s Facebook Page, resulting in the regulator issuing a warning to cease any active Bingo games.
In August of 2024, Baco Zaalbingo’s Facebook page was caught advertising unlicensed bingo games, with live streams on the 31st of August and the 1st of September. As a result, a case was opened by KSA.
Earlier this week, KSA published the November 2024 decision to impose a €200,000 fine if such bingo games are not stopped immediately.
Looking closer at the Baco Zaalbingo case
KSA revealed that these bingo tickets cost participants €25, with bingo booklets costing an average of €62.50. The prizes offered by the Facebook group have also been revealed to amount to more than what is allowed legally according to present Dutch Law. Currently top prizes cannot exceed €400, and total prizes cannot exceed a total of €1500.
The earnings from this bingo game were calculated to run up to tens of thousands of euros, benefiting only the organiser.
KSA has also deemed the recurrence rate of the organiser running more illegal bingo games on Facebook as very high due to the organiser himself admitting on a Facebook video that he will be hosting bingo games.
Dutch Law as it stands
Current Dutch law states that legal bingo games can only be held by organisations that have existed for three or more years, while gambling operators are not allowed to offer bingo in the country.
The Netherlands had also implemented a new law in July of 2023, banning gambling ads on most media channels.
Due to the nature of the case, the total amount that the organisers can be asked to pay is €196,875. This was calculated by KSA fining both the illegal bingo games hosted, amounting to €13,125 for each game, capped at €131,250, and advertising such games, amounting to €6,562 for each advert, capped at €65,625.
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