Dutch regulator hits Vave.com with €3.08m fine
The Dutch gambling regulator has imposed a multi-million euro penalty on crypto-focused gambling operator Vave.com, accusing the company of illegally targeting players in the Netherlands without holding a local licence.
The Dutch Gaming Authority, known as the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), announced it had fined Costa Rica-based Chestoption Sociedad de Responsibilidad Limitada, the company behind Vave.com, €3.08 million ($3.57 million) following an investigation into the operator’s activities in the Dutch market.
According to the KSA, Vave.com was accessible to players in the Netherlands despite the company not possessing a Dutch gambling licence. The regulator said its investigation found evidence that the operator was actively targeting Dutch consumers, including offering parts of its gambling platform in the Dutch language.
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The regulator also identified a number of additional compliance concerns that contributed to the size of the penalty. These included the absence of age verification procedures, the availability of autoplay features and the acceptance of cryptocurrency payments, all of which are prohibited or heavily restricted under Dutch gambling regulations.
In a statement accompanying the enforcement action, the KSA reiterated that only operators holding a Dutch licence are permitted to offer gambling services to customers in the Netherlands.
The latest penalty marks the second major enforcement action taken by the Dutch regulator against Chestoption and its Vave-branded gambling websites.
In 2025, the KSA issued an order subject to a penalty against the company, demanding it immediately cease offering gambling services to Dutch consumers or face escalating financial sanctions.
Under that order, Chestoption faced fines of €280,000 per week, up to a maximum of €840,000, if it failed to halt its activities in the country.
At the time, the regulator’s investigation found that players in the Netherlands could register accounts, deposit funds and access casino games across several company-operated websites, including Vave.com, Vave-luck.com and 65avev55.com, despite the operator lacking a Dutch licence.
The KSA said the sites had no effective safeguards in place to prevent access from the Netherlands, such as geoblocking technology or a list of restricted jurisdictions.
The regulator also raised concerns that the websites provided information to users on how to bypass location restrictions through virtual private networks (VPNs) and proxy services.
Chestoption previously operated under a Curaçao gambling licence but later lost that authorisation following a change in management.
The company now operates from Costa Rica, a jurisdiction that does not maintain a dedicated online gambling licensing regime. Unlike regulated gambling markets, Costa Rica does not issue formal iGaming licences or provide industry oversight, consumer protection mechanisms or dispute resolution services for online gambling operators.
The KSA did not disclose whether Chestoption paid any penalties arising from its previous enforcement action in 2025. The operator, which is based in Costa Rica and does not hold a Dutch licence, may prove difficult for Dutch authorities to pursue for collection of the latest €3.08 million fine.
The latest action forms part of the KSA’s ongoing crackdown on unlicensed gambling operators as Dutch authorities continue efforts to strengthen player protection and channel customers towards regulated, locally licensed platforms.
