Nederlandse Loterij Forces Illegal Casino Skyhills Out of the Netherlands
The state-backed Nederlandse Loterij has ordered the operators of the unauthorised gambling site Skyhills to cease serving Dutch players. The Dutch Lottery (Nederlandse Loterij) has initiated a lawsuit against an illegal gambling operator. The legal action targets Skyhills, a Curaçao-based company that does not possess a Dutch gaming license. De loterijorganisatie heeft hen gesommeerd om hun activiteiten in Nederland te staken en stelt hen aansprakelijk. Skyhills is de derde illegale goksite waartegen Nederlandse Loterij juridische stappen neemt.
Why Was Skyhills Targeted? The Danger to Dutch Youth
“Skyhills explicitly targets Dutch players and especially young people with deceptive advertising,” Blok said. Skyhills richt zich met slinkse reclame, onder meer op TikTok, nadrukkelijk op Nederlandse spelers en vooral op jongeren. “They can gamble there completely unprotected, with all the associated risks.” Zij kunnen daar volledig onbeschermd gokken, met alle risico’s van dien. Dat is onacceptabel.
He accused Skyhill of its harmful practices and called them “unacceptable.” After issuing a cease-and-desist letter, Nederlandse Loterij said that Skyhills had been made inaccessible in the Netherlands. Still, Blok was pleased that the Dutch Lottery’s intervention has caused Skyhill to shut down its business in the Netherlands. “Daarom is het goed om te zien dat na onze eerste stap de site van Skyhills al direct op zwart is gegaan.”
Launched in 2021, SkyHills Casino has positioned itself as a leader in the online gambling space. New players can enjoy a generous welcome package that often includes a match bonus on the first deposit and free spins.
The Domino Effect: Lalabet, Skyhills, and Qbet
Lalabet Appeal Adds to Legal Campaign. Nederlandse Loterij previously launched proceedings against two other offshore operators, Lalabet and Qbet. Action moves beyond a single gambling site. For the industry, the significance lies in the scope of these actions. Removing access to one domain may have limited effect if an offshore operator can reappear under another website or corporate entity. Pursuing the people and companies behind the operation is intended to make that process more difficult.
That approach has already been tested in court. In June, the District Court of The Hague ruled that several parties behind Lalabet had acted unlawfully and ordered them to stop illegal gambling activities aimed at Dutch players. In juni van dit jaar stelde de rechtbank Nederlandse Loterij nagenoeg volledig in het gelijk in de rechtszaak tegen Lalabet.
The Lalabet case saw the court rule against the illegal operator, marking a huge success for the Dutch Lottery. The court also required them to disclose information about Lalabet’s corporate structure, shareholders, and owners. The defendants were also ordered to disclose information about Lalabet’s ownership and corporate structure. The Dutch Lottery’s strategy seeks not only to force illegal operators to exit the market, but also to unmask their owners in case further legal action is needed.
The Qbet case is expected to begin later this year. De rechtszaak tegen Qbet gaat naar verwachting eind 2026 van start. Nederlandse Loterij has also launched proceedings against Qbet. In April, it said the civil case would target operators, directors, trust offices, shell companies, and other parties involved in facilitating the business.
Going After the Enablers: Trust Offices and Financial Providers
“Illegale goksites waar spelers totaal onbeschermd zijn, moeten we samen bestrijden. Ook banken, betaalproviders en hostingsdiensten hebben daarbij een verantwoordelijkheid,” aldus Arjan Blok. Blok erkent dat enkele bedrijven al goede stappen nemen. Hij wijst op Evolution, dat inmiddels heeft besloten niet langer samen te werken met illegale aanbieders. De CEO benadrukt dat ook banken hun verantwoordelijkheid moeten nemen en betalingen naar illegale aanbieders zouden moeten blokkeren.
However, while the court also found that trust administrators and local representatives who facilitate illegal gambling sites can also be held liable, it said it found insufficient evidence that the Curaçao trust firm DECC knew it was providing services to a company illegally targeting the Dutch market. The court did not find that DECC, a Curaçao-based trust office involved in the structure behind Lalabet, or two of its directors had acted unlawfully.
Nederlandse Loterij is het daar niet mee eens, want trustkantoren hebben een onderzoeksplicht naar cliënten en hun activiteiten. Bovendien blijkt uit onderzoek dat hetzelfde trustkantoor ook is betrokken bij illegale goksites Qbet en Skyhills. Nederlandse Loterij is appealing the court’s decision. Nederlandse Loterij said on 1 September that it would appeal that part of the ruling. Daarom gaat Nederlandse Loterij in hoger beroep.
The Political Paradox: Will an Advertising Ban Help or Hurt?
In its release, the Dutch Lottery also advised against an advertising ban for legal online gambling providers in the Netherlands, calling such a move “unwise,” since it would make legal gaming companies less competitive. Nederlandse Loterij also warned against a complete advertising ban for licensed online gambling operators. A ban on untargeted gambling adverts has been in place since 2023.
It argued that restricting the legal market further could make offshore operators more attractive and harder for consumers to distinguish. Een totaalverbod op reclame voor legale aanbieders speelt illegale goksites dus in de kaart. De helft van de kansspelmarkt in Nederland is in handen van illegale partijen, die ook nog eens verantwoordelijk zijn voor 95 procent van de advertenties en zich vaak voordoen als legale aanbieder. Zo’n 200.000 Nederlanders gokken nu al illegaal.
Trade association VNLOK says more than 90% of gambling ads reaching Dutch Facebook and Instagram users come from unlicensed operators. The association started proceedings to sue Meta in June, and also filed a complaint with the European Commission. It wants gambling advertisers targeting Dutch consumers to undergo license verification before ads are published.
Sources: Arjan Blok (CEO via Nederlandse Loterij official release), David Bartram (Casino.org), Angel Hristov (GamblingNews), iGamingBusiness, Sigma.world, and CasinoNieuws.nl.
