KSA Sanctions LeftlanePapi for Promoting Illegal Gambling

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has launched a major crackdown on influencers promoting unlicensed gambling.

YouTuber LeftlanePapi was hit with a penalty order for repeatedly promoting illegal gambling sites to his 53,000 subscribers.

KSA aims to curb unlicensed online gambling by punishing influencers who ignore warnings and endanger young audiences.

Influencers and platforms must now comply swiftly or risk serious fines as the KSA enforces its two-track regulatory model.

Dutch Regulator KSA Targets Influencer LeftlanePapi in Crackdown on Illegal Gambling Promotions

Key Points

• KSA penalizes influencer LeftlanePapi for promoting and participating in unlicensed online gambling on YouTube.
• Despite warnings, the content remained online, prompting a penalty order with fines of up to €75,000.
• The enforcement is part of a new two-track strategy targeting influencers and platforms promoting illegal gambling.

KSA Imposes Penalty on Influencer LeftlanePapi for Promoting Illegal Gambling

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has issued a penalty order against YouTube influencer LeftlanePapi, marking a significant escalation in its efforts to combat the promotion of illegal online gambling across social media.

Announced on 2 July, the decision follows a formal investigation and warning issued to the influencer in April, after the KSA reviewed videos promoting Skyhills.com, an unlicensed gambling platform. Despite the warning, the content was not removed, prompting regulatory action.

Illegal Promotion Ignored Despite Warnings

Skyhills.com, which offers online slots, live casino games, and sports betting, is not licensed to operate in the Netherlands. Yet LeftlanePapi’s video encouraged viewers to play on the site, offering direct links and Dutch-language support via Discord—a clear violation of Dutch gaming laws.

The video was available on a channel with over 53,000 subscribers, many of whom are likely to be underage or vulnerable. According to the KSA, this amounts to illegal promotion and facilitation of unlicensed gambling services, a serious offense under the Netherlands’ Remote Gambling Act.

Even more striking, the influencer acknowledged the risk during one of his broadcasts:

“I always just leave the stream live for 12 hours. Then I delete it immediately, man. You know how YouTube and KSA are with me — I don’t want a headache.”

This admission was interpreted by the regulator as a deliberate attempt to evade detection while continuing to promote illegal gambling.

Financial Penalty for Non-Compliance

The KSA issued a formal penalty payment order requiring the influencer to cease all promotional activity related to unlicensed gambling. If LeftlanePapi fails to comply, he faces a €25,000 fine per violation, up to a maximum of €75,000.

The penalty order, dated 18 June, was made public on 2 July as part of the regulator’s consumer protection strategy, aimed particularly at shielding young audiences from gambling addiction and financial harm.

New Enforcement Model Targets Social Media Influence

The case is the first public example of the KSA’s newly adopted two-track enforcement strategy for social media gambling violations. Under this model:

1. Influencers receive a 48-hour deadline to remove illegal gambling content once a violation is confirmed.

2. If they fail to act, the KSA contacts platforms like YouTube or Instagram to remove the content and may issue financial penalties.

The KSA has already sent warnings to several other influencers, suggesting that enforcement in this area is just beginning. The regulator emphasized its intent to use every tool available to reduce the visibility and appeal of illegal gambling platforms, especially among young and at-risk users.

The KSA’s action against LeftlanePapi signals a new era of strict regulatory enforcement targeting the promotion of unlicensed gambling via social media. By publicly naming influencers and issuing significant financial penalties, the regulator is sending a strong message to content creators and platforms alike: illegal gambling promotion will no longer go unchecked.

With the implementation of its two-track enforcement strategy, the KSA is raising the stakes for influencers who ignore warnings and continue to endanger their audiences. As regulators across Europe face rising concerns about youth exposure to online gambling, the Netherlands is now leading by example.