IS BETSSON ICELAND BOUND?

13 June 2008

Swedish gambling group could be headed for another confrontation


With the opening of its land betting shop in Stockholm still creating waves with the government monopoly's officials, it seems that Swedish online gambling group Betsson is ready to take on officialdom in Iceland, too.

The Iceland newspaper Fréttabladid reports that the company may be about to open a betting shop in the Nordic country, where gambling is officially frowned upon but government permission has been given to several charity and social organisations to offer slots action to raise funds.

The newspaper claims that Betsson is considering a venture in Iceland, quoting CEO Pontus Lindwall as saying: “Betsson plans to open gambling stores in every market where there is need for competition to increase the benefits of the customers, and Iceland is no exception."

Advertisements for Betsson online gambling have already appeared in Icelandic newspapers and on television. Since officials claim that advertising for gambling is illegal, this has led to moves to question Betsson's legal representative in the country, Sigurdur G. Gudjónsson (see previous InfoPowa reports).

Last (May) month Gudjónsson did not mince words in characterising official attempts to question him as "absurd," adding that official action against Betsson "smacks of prescriptivism."

“They asked me to come in for questioning but I have only given [Betsson] legal advice so it is ridiculous that I should be questioned in this case,” Gudjónsson said.

“The only man who they could possibly press charges against is Thórmundur Bergsson at MediaCom. It is a company that offers consultancy on where advertisements should be placed in consideration of certain target groups,” Gudjónsson concluded.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa