Dutch regulator makes public €400,000 fine for JOI Gaming over role model advertising breach

• KSA fines JOI Gaming €400,000 for using role models in 2023 Jack’s Racing Day promotions.
• The fine was only made public now, following a partial court injunction granted to the operator.
• The breach involved multiple personalities promoting a gambling brand at a motorsport event.

The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands’ gambling regulator, has made public a €400,000 fine imposed on JOI Gaming for breaching regulations on the use of role models in gambling advertising.

The penalty relates to promotional activities around the 2023 Jack’s Racing Day motorsport event.

The fine is only being disclosed now, following a two-year legal process after JOI Gaming obtained a partial preliminary injunction from a court.

The operator’s Jacks brand was found to have used multiple personalities considered role models by the regulator in promotional campaigns for the annual motorsport event.

Breach of advertising regulations

The violations centred on promotional activities at Jack’s Racing Day 2023.

According to the official KSA communication, the advertisements featured role models in various scenarios, including signing caps bearing the event logo and the Jacks brand name. Images of these activities were posted on the Jack’s Racing Day website and social media channels.

Role models were also photographed posing with hostesses wearing corporate clothing displaying the Jacks logo. These promotional materials remained live on the operator’s digital platforms when the regulator imposed its order.

The use of role models in gambling advertising for high-risk products such as online casinos and sports betting has been prohibited in the Netherlands since June 2022. The ban applies to all licensed operators in the country, with the exception of charity and state lotteries.

Regulatory framework

According to Dutch gambling regulations, role models include anyone widely known in the Netherlands.

The KSA’s definition encompasses celebrities, current and former professional footballers, influencers and models who may serve as examples of success, behaviour, or an ideal lifestyle for impressionable young adults.

The regulator emphasised the importance of protecting vulnerable groups.

“To protect vulnerable groups such as young people, strict rules apply to the use of role models in gambling advertising,” the KSA stated.

“Role models include celebrities, (former) professional footballers or influencers. They can serve as role models of success, behaviour or an ideal lifestyle for impressionable young adults. Therefore, the use of role models is prohibited for high-risk gambling, such as online gambling.”

JOI Gaming complied with the penalty order to remove the social media posts. The company had initially been warned that failure to remove the promotional materials would result in daily penalties of €50,000, up to a maximum of €250,000.

Broader enforcement context

The penalty against JOI Gaming forms part of the KSA’s broader enforcement efforts in the Netherlands. The regulator has demonstrated consistent action against operators breaching advertising and player protection regulations.

In recent months, other operators have faced penalties for regulatory breaches. Unibet, the brand owned by FDJ United, was fined €4 million for failing to comply with Dutch duty of care standards. The operator had previously received a separate €450,000 penalty from the regulator.

The KSA has made enforcement of advertising restrictions a priority as part of efforts to maintain a safe and sustainable gambling market. The regulatory approach comes within a political environment in the Netherlands that has favoured strengthening gambling reforms.

Reforms introduced by former Legal Protection Minister Franc Weerwind to overhaul the Remote Gaming Act (KOA) remain ongoing. The changes have focused particularly on player protection measures and advertising restrictions designed to safeguard vulnerable consumers and minors.

The Netherlands’ regulatory framework for gambling advertising represents one of the strictest approaches in Europe. The role model ban mirrors similar restrictions being introduced in other jurisdictions, with France and Finland having implemented or proposed comparable measures.

JOI Gaming operates the Jacks brand in the Netherlands and is part of the JVH Gaming & Entertainment Group. The operator secured its first licence in November 2021 and obtained two additional licences in February 2022.

This is not the first time JOI Gaming has faced regulatory action from the KSA, having previously been fined €400,000 in January 2023 for sending promotional emails to customers under the age of 24.