Dutch ombudsman dismisses CasinoZorgplicht complaint against Ksa

The Nationale ombudsman has declared a complaint by CasinoZorgplicht.nl against the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) unfounded, according to a letter from ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen dated 19 October 2026. The ombudsman confirmed that the Ksa was entitled not to consider the complaint, although it did not follow the regulator's reasoning. The complaint concerned the sale of Trannel International and the handling of data of about 1.5 million Dutch players.

CasinoZorgplicht approached the Nationale ombudsman in mid-2026 after the Ksa declined to consider its complaint on the merits. Before online gambling was legalised in the Netherlands, Unibet operated for Dutch players through Trannel, part of Kindred Group. Kindred was acquired about two years ago by the French gambling group FDJ United for approximately €2.45bn; the French state is a shareholder in that company. Trannel was initially part of the acquisition but was sold shortly afterwards to Brazilian gambling entrepreneur Carlos Strazzer.

The ombudsman said the Ksa could have handled the complaint but could have explained that its statutory duty of confidentiality prevented it from providing substantive information about its supervision. The outcome that the Ksa did not consider the complaint therefore remains the same. The ombudsman did not follow the legal reasoning put forward by the regulator, but said the Ksa acted correctly. In a passage from the letter, Van Zutphen said: "Het is juist dat de Ksa uw klacht niet in behandeling heeft genomen. Maar wel om een andere reden dan de Ksa noemt." He also said it was correct that the Ksa referred CasinoZorgplicht to the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) for the privacy part of the complaint, as the AP is the body best placed to assess it.

In 2019 the regulator imposed a €470,000 fine on Trannel for offering gambling through Unibet without a Dutch licence. An investigation into iDEAL transactions to Unibet provided insight into the size of Dutch activities. On 31 October 2024, then Kindred chief executive Nils Andén informed the Ksa and the Ministry of Justice and Security about the sale of Trannel. The Ksa took note of the notification, while the ministry considered no action necessary. After the sale, Trannel was renamed Risepoint Limited.

Former Unibet players are currently in legal proceedings over access to their historical data, which may be needed to reconstruct gambling losses. The Nationale ombudsman referred CasinoZorgplicht to the AP for questions about the lawfulness of the data transfer. In June 2026, CasinoZorgplicht filed an enforcement request and complaint with the AP.