The Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) has recently taken action against three unlicensed gambling operators for illegally targeting consumers in Sweden. Concurrently, the regulator has also launched a compliance review into a licensed operator, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen oversight and enforce regulations within the Swedish gambling market.

Spelinspektionen has banned three unlicensed gambling operators: EOD Code SRL, Igloo Ventures SRL, and MIBS NV. These companies have come under the regulator’s radar for illegally targeting Swedish consumers without holding the required national licence. According to Spelinspektionen, the operators used various tactics to market their services in Sweden, including affiliate marketing, placing advertising banners on Swedish websites, and working with influencers on platforms such as Instagram and Twitch to reach Swedish players. Spelinspektionen has made it clear that these companies violated Swedish laws by operating in the country without being licensed to do so. As part of its strategy, the regulator is prioritising actions to ensure that gambling takes place only with licensed operators in Sweden. All decisions to ban illegal gambling companies are publicly available on Spelinspektionen’s website to maintain transparency.

Compliance Review of Licensed Operator

In a separate move, Spelinspektionen has launched a compliance review of More Tech Group, a licensed operator behind platforms like lottoexperten.se, lottoexperten.com, and superlottoclub.com. The review will examine More Tech Group’s compliance with several provisions of the Swedish Gambling Act (2018:1138). The specific provisions under review include ensuring written consent is obtained in telephone sales, prohibiting the offering of credit to customers, and verifying customer identities against the national self-exclusion register, Spelpaus.

Broader Enforcement Trend

These actions are part of Spelinspektionen’s broader enforcement trend. The regulator has been active in regulating licensed operators, holding them accountable for violations of customer protection and anti-money laundering (AML) rules. As examples of this broader trend, past enforcement actions include Kindred-owned subsidiary Spooniker being fined and issued a formal warning for reportedly failing to adequately collect customer information and assess whether transactions were linked to money laundering or terrorist financing. Other enforcement actions have included fines against licensed operators such as Videoslots for reportedly failing to protect players from excessive gambling and multiple fines against Glitnor Services and Roar Vegas for reportedly not meeting responsible gambling standards.

Government Efforts to Strengthen Oversight

The steps taken by Spelinspektionen are part of wider efforts by the Swedish Government to improve control over the gambling industry. Earlier this year, the National Audit Office reportedly pointed out that the Gambling Authority had not been conducting enough inspections or follow-up checks. In response to the findings of this report, the Swedish Government has reportedly started reviewing the Gambling Act with the aim of making the rules and their enforcement stronger.

In conclusion, Spelinspektionen’s recent actions, including banning three unlicensed operators for illegal targeting and launching a compliance review into a licensed operator’s adherence to key provisions of the Gambling Act, signal an intensified effort by the regulator to enforce Swedish gambling law and strengthen regulatory control. These actions are occurring alongside broader government initiatives to review and potentially strengthen the Gambling Act itself, prompted by recent audits highlighting the need for more inspections and follow-up checks across the industry.