THE HAGUE, WILLEMSTAD – Dutch gambling regulators say a Curaçao-registered company was behind two online casino platforms that accepted players from the Netherlands despite lacking a Dutch license.
According to an investigation by the Dutch Gambling Authority, Novatech Solutions N.V., which is listed as being based in Curaçao, was responsible for operating the websites qbet.com and 55bet.com.
Investigators found that players in the Netherlands could easily create accounts on the platforms using Dutch personal details. The sites were accessible from Dutch IP addresses and allowed deposits and participation in casino games such as virtual slot machines.
Authorities also noted several indicators suggesting that the websites were actively targeting the Dutch market. During registration, the country field automatically displayed “Netherlands,” while the telephone code +31 was pre-selected.
In addition, reviews on Dutch gambling websites reportedly described the Netherlands as a “focus market” for the platforms and confirmed that Dutch players were accepted.
Although the websites were primarily presented in English, the regulator said this did not prevent them from targeting Dutch users. Transactions on the sites were conducted in euros, and the platforms used the internationally oriented .com domain.
The Dutch regulator concluded that the company was effectively offering gambling services to Dutch players without authorization.