The Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, has initiated a major crackdown on influencers found to be promoting illegal gambling operators. This action underscores the growing global challenge of online gambling marketing and enforcement, particularly concerning content creators.

According to the regulatory body, it launched supervision against several influencers who were found to have marketed illegal gambling through their online channels, predominantly on the video-sharing platform Twitch. The marketing of illegal gambling activities, if aimed at Swedish customers, is strictly prohibited under the country’s Gambling Act. Spelinspektionen explained in a statement, as reported by iGaming Times, that its operational plan for the year is to focus on “young people’s gambling and illegal gambling.” The regulator also stated, as reported by iGaming Times, that it “will continue to conduct supervision against influencers and other actors who conduct or promote illegal gambling under the Gambling Act.” Following this supervision, Spelinspektionen confirmed that the influencers in question had indeed ceased marketing illegal gambling.

A Global Issue: Influencer Marketing Scrutiny Worldwide

Sweden’s focus on advertising standards and influencer promotion reflects a broader global trend of intensifying scrutiny. Regulatory bodies in many jurisdictions worldwide have been turning their attention to influencer advertising in the gambling sector.

Most recently, Kenya’s regulator, the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), published a strict set of new rules on advertising, which notably include a ban on using influencers and content creators to promote gambling.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian market recently garnered headlines following testimony from beauty and lifestyle influencer Virginia Fonseca. When questioned by Senators, Fonseca reportedly appeared to demonstrate a lack of knowledge about the gaming products she was advertising, a situation that underscored the pressing need for greater clarity in the newly regulated market’s advertising policy regarding influencer collaborations.

Alongside regulatory bodies, the streaming platforms that are often at the heart of these advertising efforts have also undertaken policy changes to try and curb the promotion of illegal gambling operators. YouTube, for instance, has toughened its guidelines on content related to gambling, prohibiting creators from promoting “unapproved” websites. In the context of gambling sites, this specifically refers to those that do not meet local regulatory requirements and have not been reviewed by YouTube or its parent company Google. Twitch also updated its policy towards certain gambling-related content in 2022, announcing a ban on the streaming of gambling sites not licensed in the US or other jurisdictions that “provide sufficient consumer protection.” However, it is noted that such a policy does not currently extend to creators promoting illegal gambling sites through advertisements that appear on the platform.

The actions by the Swedish Gambling Authority, alongside similar initiatives globally, highlight a concerted effort by regulators to adapt their enforcement strategies to the evolving digital marketing landscape and address the challenges posed by influencers promoting unlicensed gambling activities. This signals a continued tightening of oversight on online gambling advertising worldwide.