The government of Sweden has appointed Peter Knutsson as Director General of the country’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, as he is expected to take up the position on...
Swedish Regulator Appeals Svenska Spel Fine Overturn
The Swedish Gambling Regulator, Spelinspektionen, appeals court ruling overturning SEK100m fine on Svenska Spel, insisting operators must act swiftly to protect players from harm.
The Administrative Court in Linköping scrapped the fine earlier his month, claiming a lack of clarity in the duty of care obligations in the regulation. But in a statement on Thursday, Spelinspektionen insisted that the ruling “incorrectly assumes” that the clause contains no specific action directives. However, the clause sets out an obligation to take active measures to protect players from excessive gambling.
The regulator shared:
“The licensee must also continuously monitor extensive gambling activity and take appropriate action at the same pace as the gambling occurs. Furthermore, the licensee must independently limit gambling to prevent the harm that excessive gambling can cause.”
Spelinspektionen also believes that the Administrative Court assessed Svenska Spel’s case “differently than other sanctioned licensees.” The customers that were involved in the case lost between SEK260,000 (£20,061) and SEK600,000 (£46,292).
Spelinspektionen said Svenska Spel’s interventions “primarily” consisted of warnings and information messages, but that the operator neither continuously followed up with the reviewed customers nor took the necessary and individualised actions to limit their gambling.
As the appeal proceeds, the regulator reaffirmed its view that Sweden’s gambling regulation does impose clear obligations on operators to protect consumers, and that these obligations must be interpreted and enforced consistently to uphold safe and sustainable gambling practices across the industry.
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