Netherlands Gaming Authority Hits Winning Poker Network with €1.28M Fine for Illegal Gambling

The Netherlands Gaming Authority (Kansspelautoriteit, or KSA) has imposed a €1,275,000 fine on Winning Poker Network (WPN), the owner of Americas Cardroom, for offering unlicensed online poker to Dutch players.

The penalty underscores the KSA’s ongoing efforts to crack down on illegal gambling operations within its jurisdiction.

An investigation by the KSA revealed that WPN, which operates americascardroom.eu and truepoker.eu, allowed users in the Netherlands to access their platforms, create accounts, and participate in online poker games and tournaments without the necessary licensing.

Commenting on the latest enforcement action, Michel Groothuizen, chairperson of the KSA’s board, emphasized the importance of strong deterrents:“A penalty payment order is an effective way to quickly take illegal supply off the air. However, these types of parties should not think that they will get off easy with this, so we also impose fines for the violation committed. In doing so, we hit them where it really hurts, namely in their wallets.”

WPN’s History of Non-Compliance

This is not WPN’s first run-in with the Dutch gaming regulator. In March 2023, the KSA issued a financial penalty warning to the company for offering unlicensed poker in the Netherlands. The warning specified that if WPN continued to provide Dutch players access to unlicensed websites, it would incur a fine of €25,000 per week, capped at a maximum of €75,000.

While the company initially withdrew access to its americascardroom.eu platform, a follow-up investigation in September uncovered that WPN was still allowing Dutch players to create new accounts and gamble on its truepoker.eu platform. This led the KSA to impose the maximum allowable fine of €1,275,000 for its continued violation.

Broader Implications

This latest enforcement action brings the total gambling fines levied by the KSA in 2025 to €3,507,295 ($3,595,708 or £2,952,797). By comparison, total gambling fines in 2024 amounted to €177.9 million ($184.4 million or £148.2 million).

The case highlights the KSA’s unwavering stance against illegal gambling operators and its commitment to ensuring a fair and regulated gaming environment. 

By fLEXI tEAM