Dutch regulator fines Polymarket €420,000 for one-day delay

The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has ordered Adventure One QSS Inc., the operator of Polymarket, to pay €420,000 following a missed compliance deadline. The KSA published its collection decision on June 16 and mailed the formal notice on May 19.

The case began with a January order made public in mid-February that concluded Polymarket offered games of chance to Dutch residents without a license. Regulators focused on markets tied to the October 2025 Dutch parliamentary elections, where investigators found users could register, deposit euros through a local bank and place wagers.

The KSA gave the operator four weeks to stop offering services to Dutch users or face a coercive fine of €420,000 per week, capped at €840,000. A re-check on February 17 found betting access still available, and Polymarket deactivated wagering one day after the deadline. Because the deadline was missed by a single day, the regulator applied one week’s coercive penalty.

The June collection notice enforces that coercive penalty only; it is not a new punitive fine for the underlying illegal offering. The KSA said in February it could still pursue a separate punitive sanction calculated against the operator’s turnover.

Adventure One QSS has filed an objection to the collection decision. The company argues the KSA’s re-check took place while its blocking measures were still being deployed and that the regulator did not fully account for the technical complexity of geofencing an entire country. Polymarket has operated in a view-only mode for Dutch users since February, where markets can be seen but not wagered on.

In February, Ella Seijsener, the KSA’s director of licensing and supervision, said political betting is not permitted in the Dutch market “under any circumstances” and pointed to social risks including possible influence on elections.

Polymarket and similar platforms maintain their contracts function as financial instruments, a position accepted by some U.S. regulators. European authorities have not accepted that classification, and the Netherlands has applied strict regulation including proposed advertising restrictions and fines for offshore operators.

Polymarket’s objection initiates a formal review. If the objection is upheld the collection could be reduced or overturned; if it fails the operator will be required to pay the coercive amount and may face additional punitive fines in separate proceedings.