Unibet faces potential €450,000 penalty in the Netherlands over micro-betting violations
FDJ United-owned operator sanctioned by KSA for infractions between October 2022 and May 2025, including offering bookings and corners markets
The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) could fine Unibet up to €450,000 (£391,520) for offering prohibited micro-betting markets to Dutch players.
The violations in question pertain to Optdeck which is the licence holder in the Netherlands through which Unibet operates.
Between October 2022 and May 2025, Optdeck offered micro-betting markets for football, allowing customers to bet on the number of corner kicks and yellow cards awarded during a certain game.
Optdeck also offered customers markets involving players under the age of 21, which is in breach of Dutch gambling regulations.
The KSA has imposed a penalty payment on Unibet of €75,000 for each week in which a violation occurs, up to a maximum of €450,000.
The regulator explained that the decision stemmed from a fear of the issue reocurring, despite repeated warnings to Unibet.
A KSA statement said: “The KSA has repeatedly addressed Unibet about the betting options offered. The KSA sees insufficient improvement and a real risk of recurrence.
“Under Dutch gambling law, betting on certain matches and event components is prohibited. This is to protect the integrity of the sport and these bets, and to prevent manipulation of these sports bets.”
The fine represents Unibet’s latest run in with the Dutch regulator.
Alongside issuing the penalty, the KSA has issued new obligations for licence holders which will require them to have a definitive “exit plan” in place should they elect to leave the market.
The initial batch of licences from when the market opened in October 2021 are set to run for five years. Those businesses looking to renew their permits will be reassessed by the KSA to determine their validity for renewal.
The KSA said: “Operators that have made mistakes in the past five years must explain during the application process how they have learned from previous mistakes and how they intend to prevent recurrence.
“If the KSA finds this explanation insufficient, the permit may be denied or additional conditions and restrictions may be imposed.”
In June, the KSA issued two warnings to Unibet regarding advertising violations and for allowing the use of an autoplay feature in an online slot.
Unibet also received a €400,000 fine from the operator in December after accepting bets from players who had self-excluded from gambling.
Last month, the KSA issued a warning to TonyBet for offering prohibited betting markets to players in the Netherlands.
The operator offered odds on both the winner of the Ballon d’Or and the winner of the Club World Cup’s best player.
At the time, the regulator reminded TonyBet that Netherlands-facing operators are only permitted to offer betting markets on “objective, verifiable performance within official sporting events organised by recognised national or international sports organisations”.