Sweden in the News — Weekly Round-up for January 25, 2019
By Brian Cullingworth, Last updated Jan 25, 2019
Spelinspektionen Welcomes Another Four Licensees To The Market
Makes 64th license award
Sweden’s gambling authority Spelinspektionen has awarded another three licenses bringing the total in the market to sixty-four.
Online gambling license awards were made to Dreambox Games OÜ operating through chanz.com and Ellmount Gaming Limited for its casinoroom.com operation.
Legolas Invest Ltd was awarded licensing for both online gambling and betting operating through legolas.bet and mobile.legolas.bet and More Tech Group Ltd a betting license for superlottoclub.com.
SkillOnNet Self-Excluder Tech For Affiliates Targeting Sweden
Identifies and removes contacts listed on Sweden’s Spelpaus programme
SkillOnNet has rolled out its Self-Excluder Identifier API to affiliates promoting its white-label brands in the Swedish market.
The tool enables affiliates to identify and remove self-excluded Swedes from SkillonNet platform partners’ brand marketing such as operators PlayOJO and AHTI Games.
Affiliates upload their encrypted lists of email addresses and mobile phone numbers to the Self-Excluder Identifier, then the fully encrypted tool compares that list with the database of self-excluded players held by SkillOnNet, clearly identifying those that have opted-out.
SkillOnNet’s database carries out realtime updates each time a player self-exclude’s or reverses the self exclusion process.
Michael Golembo, from SkillOnNet, said: “Our innovative Self-Excluder Identifier API has proved to be hugely popular with our affiliate partners in the UK, so we wanted to be able to offer it to publishers promoting our brands in Sweden.
“Our experience in the UK market meant that we were able to fine-tune the tool for the Swedish market in next to no time, rolling it out to affiliates shortly after the market re-regulated on January 1.
“The tool is a win-win for affiliates in that it allows them to market directly to players safe in the knowledge they are not engaging those that have self-excluded, while their data remains safe and secure thanks to it being fully encrypted.”
Compliance Onus Is On Licensees Swedish Authority Warns
In all aspects of regulatory requirements
Sweden’s gaming authority Spelinspektionen has publicly warned licensed operators to shape up or ship out after receiving numerous complaints involving the self-exclusion programme, promotion and design failings.
The statement published on Spelinspektionen’s website warns licensees that the onus is on them to ensure they are compliant with regulations.
Complaints have primarily involved deficiencies in relation to the licensee’s responsibility for checking against the self-exclusion register, Spelpaus.se, and self-excluded Swedes being targeted by promotional campaigns.
However, the authority said deficiencies in the design requirements of certain licensees has also been brought to its attention.
“The one starting point for the new gambling regulation was that gambling should be channeled to responsible, reliable and controllable operators,” the statement reads.
“A licensee shall, on his own initiative, ensure that he fulfils his obligations under the regulations. The award of a license means that the responsibility for the gaming business lies with the license holder. With this responsibility follows an obligation to ensure that the requirements of the regulation are observed in all areas.”
Licensed operators will face investigations initiated by the authority who will act if regulatory requirements are not met.
Warnings, financial penalties and the withdrawal of an operator’s license are some of the penalties non-compliance may attract.
Warnings may be accompanied by a penalty fee which can not exceed ten percent of the Licenesee’s turnover, Spelinspektionen said, and severe breaches may result in the operator’s license being withdrawn.
Spelinspektionen also warned it will take measures against unlicensed operators who continue to operate internet gaming in the market.
“Severe penalties will be imposed on those operators who carry out gaming activities without a license. Measures against illegal gambling are important.”
Svenska Spel’s Swedish Ice Hockey Sponsorship Renewed
Until 2025 with a two-year extendable option
Svenska Spel will continue its two-decade-long sponsorship of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association under a renewal to 2025 and an option to extend it for two further years.
Tommy Boustedt, Secretary General of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association:
“We are very pleased that our long-term cooperation with Svenska Spel continues. The long-term perspective of Svenska Spel’s commitment means a great deal and gives us the opportunity to realise our vision of becoming the best at all levels, making ice hockey accessible to more and being Sweden’s most engaging sport.
“Svenska Spel also cares for the sport and conducts its business with a high degree of gaming responsibility, which is important for us at a new license market.”
The new deal, beginning July 1, 2019, including the option of a further two years, is reportedly worth over SEK 200 million.