Self-Excluded Player Enters Casinos with Fake ID, Operator Admits Fault

Holland Casino has acknowledged it should have done things differently when a PowNed reporter tried to enter its Eindhoven venue using another person’s driver’s license. The casino also said the broadcaster gave the impression that its staff relied solely on the photograph on the ID, which was incorrect. Three Out of Five The response comes as a result of an investigation by Dutch broadcaster PowNed, which wanted to see if self-excluded gamblers could actually bypass casinos’ entry controls by relying on someone else’s identification. The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has said it will take action following the investigation, which involved Holland Casino’s Eindhoven property and two gaming halls that also admitted PowNed reporter Abel Bijlsma. Bijlsma, who is registered with Cruks, the Netherlands’ central self-exclusion system, attempted to enter five casinos using his own identification and another five using a colleague’s driver’s license. He was allowed to enter three of the five venues when using the colleague’s license, including Jack’s Casino in Utrecht and Casino Be One in Rotterdam. Holland Casino Says More Checks Were Carried Out Holland Casino has now provided more details on what occurred at its Eindhoven property, arguing that the broadcast video did not show the full interaction between Bijlsma and casino staff. According to the operator, the reporter told employees that his appearance had changed significantly because he had lost a substantial amount of weight. Holland Casino said staff did not base their decision solely on the photograph displayed on the identification document, but also reportedly checked an older photograph of the ID holder stored in the casino’s system. The operator said that the older image showed a person who looked considerably more like Bijlsma than the photograph on the driver’s license he presented. Accordingly, they decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and let him enter. However, Holland Casino said staff remained suspicious and kept an eye on him while he was inside the venue. Bijlsma did not use any of the casino’s facilities and left shortly afterward, which prompted an internal investigation by Holland Casino. Staff Admitted They Made the Wrong Call The operator ultimately accepted that the reporter should not have been admitted, and its internal review found that employees had allowed considerations of hospitality to influence their judgment more than was appropriate. As a result, staff did not fully follow the applicable identity verification procedure. Under the procedure, employees are expected to refuse entry whenever there is doubt about whether the person presenting an identification document is actually the person named on it. Holland Casino said employees have since been reminded of that requirement. The incident comes as the KSA examines the wider findings from the PowNed investigation. The regulator has acknowledged that the monitoring system worked effectively when Bijlsma used his own identification and also prevented access at two of the venues where he attempted to use another person’s ID. However, the cases where he was admitted have highlighted the importance of the physical identity checks carried out before customers enter Dutch casinos. The Human Element Holland Casino explained that it carries out extensive identity and access checks across millions of visits each year and believes the procedures are generally effective. At the same time, the operator acknowledged that identity verification ultimately involves human judgment. The company said the incident presented an opportunity to make the system more effective and that it would carefully evaluate what happened, learn from the incident and continue investing in its procedures. Holland Casino said it is prepared to cooperate with the regulator, stating that it looks forward with confidence to any further actions or inquiries from the KSA.