A recent data ruling by the Dutch regulator serves as a reminder that compliance is now a real-time discipline, ongoing and unforgiving, argues Mike de Graaff, Chief Compliance Officer at BetComply.

Despite clear evidence to the contrary, much of our industry still misunderstands how compliance truly works in today’s most heavily regulated markets.

The old ways of thinking persist, even at some of the largest companies in our sector. Put the processes into place. Tick the boxes. Acquire the licence. Job done, now we can focus on the “real” business.

But look at the recent trend of enforcement from the UKGC, Spelinspektionen, Kansspelautoriteit and others, and the message is loud and clear: compliance is the real business.

Take the KSA’s August announcement on database monitoring as just the latest example.

The Dutch regulator confirmed that it will intensify monitoring of its control database (CBD), following a round of automated checks in which every single licensed operator showed deficiencies.

Some were minor, while others were more serious. But the KSA wasn’t in the mood to pull punches. Accurate, timely and complete data, it said, is not optional. It is the foundation of a licence to operate.

The regulator has already said it will conduct follow-up checks on operators this year, and we know that heavy fines and even licence revocation will be on the table for those who haven’t improved.

Shift in mindset

The KSA announcement is interesting beyond the particulars of data monitoring.

Firstly, it illustrates that the KSA sees compliance not as a static condition but as a living, continuous obligation. Participants in the market must show on a daily basis that obligations are being met, and understand that these obligations may evolve as well.

Secondly, the KSA is making it clear that compliance is not measured comparatively. The regulator isn’t only focused on the worst offenders. Everyone is under the spotlight.

This is a mindset shift that we’re seeing replicated around Europe. My bet is the trend will only accelerate. In the UK, affordability and source-of-funds checks are being built around real-time data visibility. In Sweden, Spelinspektionen has been actively investigating several operators regarding reporting obligations.

Regulators are quickly aligning around the principle that if you cannot see it, you cannot regulate it.

From obligation to opportunity

The wider implication is that operators can no longer rely on arguments about channelisation or market stability to shield themselves from scrutiny.

Yes, a total advertising ban in the Netherlands would harm channelisation. Yes, over-regulation risks empowering the black market. Regulators know and understand this.

The issue is that public trust is now the overriding currency of regulation. If licensed operators fail to demonstrate responsibility, restrictions become politically viable. That is how debates about advertising bans gain momentum, and why misjudged campaigns and compliance failures have outsized consequences.

The lesson here is simple: compliance must be built into every element of a business. It cannot be confined to a single department, siloed away from product, marketing or operations. Every team needs to understand not only what the rules are, but why they exist, and be able to explain their actions in those terms. “We thought we had to do this” is no longer good enough.

That may sound daunting, but it is also an opportunity.

Regulators are showing their teeth, and will punish those who fall short. Operators who can demonstrate a deep, proactive understanding of regulation are better placed to thrive in mature, tightly controlled markets.

It is worth remembering that even the industry’s largest incumbents can stumble. Some of the most high-profile enforcement cases in recent years have been against household names. For agile challengers willing to invest in compliance culture, this creates space to disrupt and win market share.

Embedding compliance into every decision and treating it as part of a competitive edge is now a genuine driver of growth.

Compliance is changing. The only question left is whether you are ready to change with it.