Clarification regarding DECC's former role at Novatech Solutions N.V. and the KSA fine
On 10 March 2026 the Dutch gambling regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), published a fine of EUR 24,846,000 imposed on Novatech Solutions N.V. for unlicensed online gambling through Qbet.com and 55Bet.com. The fine decision is dated 16 December 2025, and an objection has been lodged against it.
Some online publications, including an article on iGaming Chronicle, have since described Downtown E-Commerce Company B.V. (DECC) as the party that managed Novatech, and have incorrectly stated that Novatech was dissolved after the fine. These descriptions thus do not reflect the facts. This statement concerns DECC's role as Novatech's local director from 19 December 2025 to 11 March 2026.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 10 June and 10 September 2024 | The KSA establishes that unlicensed online gambling is offered through Qbet.com and 55Bet.com. |
| October 2025 | The KSA informs Novatech of its intention to impose a fine. |
| November 2025 | Novatech submits its views on the intended fine. |
| 16 December 2025 | The KSA takes the fine decision. The decision is not yet public. |
| 17 December 2025 | DECC onboards Novatech. Novatech has stated that no regulatory or criminal proceedings are pending against it. |
| 19 December 2025 | DECC becomes Novatech's local director. |
| 10 March 2026 | The KSA publishes the fine. DECC learns of the fine decision and resigns immediately. |
| 11 March 2026 | DECC's directorship ends. |
DECC's role
DECC is a trust office in Curaçao. It is listed as licence holder in the register of supervised institutions of the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS). Under the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK), gaming operators must have local substance, and for that reason Novatech was looking for a local director.
DECC's appointment as local director carried statutory, governance and compliance responsibilities. Novatech's owners and operators were separate from DECC. DECC did not operate Novatech's gaming platforms, customer accounts or payments.
The violations predate DECC's involvement
DECC onboarded Novatech on 17 December 2025 and became its director on 19 December 2025. The KSA's fine decision is dated 16 December 2025 and was not made public until 10 March 2026. It concerns violations that the KSA established in 2024, in which DECC was thus not involved.
Onboarding
As part of its standard onboarding procedure at the end of 2025, DECC questioned Novatech in writing whether any regulatory or criminal proceedings were pending against it. Novatech answered that there were none. DECC also obtained a signed statement from Novatech's ultimate beneficial owner that Novatech complied in full with the requirements and legislation of the regulated jurisdictions for online gambling. DECC's services were subject to a contractual prohibition on targeting regulated markets such as the Netherlands, and to a geoblocking condition.
The KSA's fine decision shows that Novatech had already been informed of the intended fine, and had submitted its views on it in November 2025. Novatech did not disclose this to DECC. DECC only learned of the fine decision when the KSA published it on 10 March 2026.
Immediate resignation
DECC resigned immediately after that publication. Its directorship ended on 11 March 2026.
What “discontinued” means in the Curaçao register
All companies registered at the Curaçao Chamber of Commerce (CoC) need a local representative or a (local) director. Once a company has no local representative or (local) director, the CoC registers the company as “discontinued”. That wording is easily misunderstood. It does not mean that the company is inactive, discontinued or liquidated. Only the registration with the CoC is discontinued. Once the company enlists a new local representative or a (local) director, it is “reactivated” in the CoC register.
The “discontinued” status shown for Novatech after DECC's resignation therefore does not, by itself, mean that Novatech was dissolved.
DECC's management during this period
Throughout its directorship of Novatech, DECC had a single statutory director. Publications that name two directors of DECC for this period are incorrect.
Further information
Legal proceedings concerning this matter, including the objection against the fine decision, are pending. DECC will not comment on them further. Supporting documents are available on a confidential basis to financial institutions and other regulated parties with a legitimate interest, on request, at complaints@decc-management.com.
Downtown E-Commerce Company B.V. (DECC)
Willemstad,