Dutch regulator calls out 711 over withdrawals

• Kansspelautoriteit says 711 made some players wager their deposits before they could withdraw
• 711 tied the condition to anti-money laundering checks on non-bank payment methods
• The regulator did not impose a fine or other sanction but warns of stricter action next time

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit, KSA) has called out 711 for requiring some customers to wager their own deposits before cashing out.

The regulator published its findings on 9 October 2026 and dismissed the operator’s argument that the condition was an anti-money laundering safeguard.

Wrong tool for AML

The case began with a tip-off. According to the KSA, 711 applied the wagering condition to customers who deposited through payment methods other than a regular bank account.

711 told the regulator the procedure was built into its anti-money laundering controls. The KSA does allow a withdrawal to be held during a money laundering check. That hold must be as short as possible, and it cannot become a structural part of how payouts work.

Making a player stake their deposit first, even once, is not permitted.

The regulator called 711’s approach highly undesirable and raised the matter directly with 711. Following those talks, 711 took measures to prevent a repeat, the KSA said.

711 also clarified that players who did not want to play through their deposits could have the money sent back to their original payment method.

Rules on record

The KSA was clear this should not have happened. Licensees were informed in 2024 of their payout obligations and the exceptions around paying out player balances. Breaches of this kind, the regulator said, should no longer occur.

Its guidance is blunt. When a player asks for their balance, the licensee must pay it without unnecessary delay. Structural conditions that slow that process are banned.

Two examples are spelled out. Operators cannot set a minimum withdrawal amount, not even a few euros. They also cannot attach wagering requirements to money a player has deposited.

Playthrough conditions are only allowed alongside a bonus, and then under strict terms.

The exceptions are narrow. A payout can wait for a source of funds check under the Wwft, the Dutch anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing act. Suspected fraud and incorrect registration details can also justify a pause.

Charges that cause no unnecessary delay, such as account management fees, are still permitted. Players must be told about them in advance.

A thin margin

This is the second time in four months that 711 has faced KSA action. On 11 June 2026, the regulator published a €886,000 fine against the operator for duty of care failures.

That case covered ten high-loss player files between February 2022 and June 2024. European Gaming reported at the time that the decision was not yet final and that 711 could lodge an objection with the KSA.

Tom De Backer, Group CEO and co-founder, said the company had always acted in good faith and within the legal framework in place at the time.

711 B.V. is registered in Jabbeke, Belgium, and serves Dutch players through 711.nl. Its Dutch remote licence runs to 15 March 2027.

No fine came with this week’s intervention. The KSA did say it can act more strictly if 711 breaches the rules again. Both duty of care and Wwft compliance sit among the five priorities in its 2026 supervisory agenda.

A scrutinised practice

For payments and compliance teams, the boundary is now on the public record. Enhanced checks on alternative payment methods are fine. Turning those checks into a playthrough requirement is not.

The practice is drawing scrutiny beyond the Netherlands. In New York, Assembly Member Kassay introduced a bill on 6 March 2026 that would stop mobile sportsbooks making bettors wager deposits before withdrawing them.

Unwagered deposits could then be withdrawn at any time, subject only to identity and fraud checks approved by the regulator. The bill remains in the Assembly’s Racing and Wagering Committee.