Online casino operators in the Netherlands have been warned by the regulatory authority, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), over the use of autoplay functionalities. 

The reminder was issued after the KSA received a report from a player who was able to use autoplay on an online gambling machine with an unidentified operator; this practice is prohibited under Dutch law. 

Customers using the site could buy multiple spins on slot games which were played one after the other, with the game repeatedly restarted as long as players still held ‘spin credit’. 

Regulatory research showed that at least three gambling machines on the operator’s site allowed this functionality.

Following the release of the report, the KSA carried out research which showed that this was indeed the case with at least three online gambling machines. 

The licence holder has now disabled the feature from its offering and also removed all online gaming machines with forms of automatic play from its site. 

“A player must make a conscious choice for each subsequent game to continue playing,” the regulator explained.

“From the point of view of consumer protection and the risk of (the development of) gambling addiction, forms of automatic play (autoplay) at online gambling machines are prohibited. In this form of play, the player no longer consciously chooses the next game and loses control.”

The KSA could have issued a cease and desist order and penalty of up to €300,000 if the firm had continued to incorporate an autoplay feature. 

With the Dutch market continuing to expand – another 10 licensees are expected later this year according to Niels Onkenhout, Chief Executive of Nederlandse Loterij. The KSA has repeatedly reminded operators of their licensing duties, particularly with regards to advertising in recent months.