Dutch Lottery Targets Illegal Operator Skyhills Legally

Dutch state lottery Nederlandse Loterij (NLO) issued a pre-litigation demand on September 1 to the companies and directors behind illegal iGaming operator Skyhills, ordering them to cease operations in the country. NLO stated the parties are responsible for damages caused and is seeking disclosure of the brand's corporate structure to support further legal action, noting that the companies and individuals involved are based in Costa Rica, North Macedonia, the United Kingdom, Curaçao, Malta, and the Marshall Islands.

According to NLO, Skyhills targeted advertising, including on TikTok, at Dutch players and particularly at younger audiences, and the operator's website has already become inaccessible within the Netherlands. Skyhills is the third illegal operator targeted in NLO's ongoing legal campaign, following Lalabet and Qbet, with the Qbet case expected to go to trial in late 2026. In June, a Dutch court largely ruled in the lottery's favor in the Lalabet case, but declined to hold trust office DECC liable, citing insufficient evidence that it was aware of its client's illegal activity. NLO intends to appeal that portion of the ruling, citing trust offices' obligation to vet clients and DECC's involvement with both Qbet and Skyhills as well.

The expanding legal campaign signals NLO's continued strategy of pursuing not only illegal operators themselves but also the corporate service providers, such as trust offices, that support their operations, potentially setting a broader precedent for accountability across the illegal gambling supply chain in the Netherlands.