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Kindred Group’s Unibet brand has apologised for some of its staff blaming Dutch player bonusing problems on the regulator, saying the issues were due to faults in its own systems.
Some Unibet players in the Netherlands were finding their bonuses frozen or reduced in value, a problem which Kindred said was due to automatic systems designed to detect signals of unsafe or irresponsible gambling set at too-sensitive levels.
The procedures triggered an intervention measure, typically a pop-up warning, and that intervention led to a blocking of bonuses for a certain period, Kindred said.
Some Unibet staff initially blamed the problems on the regulator, the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA), but Kindred said it wanted to emphasise that the problems were solely with its own systems.
The KSA “is not involved in this and is not responsible for this. We deeply regret this incorrect communication,” the company said.
The KSA said on Monday (July 11) that it had been in touch with Kindred about the problem, and referred players to the Unibet website for resolution.
“We are working hard to properly modify the system and adjust the sensitivity,” the Stockholm-listed company said. “We hope that the problems will be resolved this week.”
Kindred received its Dutch licence on June 8, and went live within the past week.
The operator has already inked a deal with Dutch football’s most successful club, Ajax. It said that in addition to a commercial partnership, the two organisations “will work together in the field of prevention of betting-related match-fixing, mental health and responsible gambling”.
However, the future for online gambling sponsorships in Dutch football hangs in the balance.
Kindred is set to release its interim second-quarter results on July 22.
