Swedish gambling authority warns licensees about ongoing compliance “deficiencies”

Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has issued a letter to all licensees warning them to improve their compliance with the new market’s regulations.

Spelinspektionen said it had received “many tips and complaints on deficiencies in gaming companies in several different areas”.

The regulator said the complaints were primarily about self-exclusion issues, but also in other areas such as “requirements for the design and clarity” of operator websites, particularly those which allow players to play without registration.

“One starting point for the new gambling regulation is that gambling should be channelled to responsible, reliable and controllable players,” Spelinspektionen said. “Measures against illegal gambling are important. At least as important is that the operators who have a licence really follow the regulation.”

The regulator has advised firms which are already compliant with regulations to ignore the letter, while asserting that all measures required to comply with regulations and licensing decisions should be “taken immediately”.

Spelinspektionen has confirmed that it will look to issue written warnings to non-compliant operators, before escalating to financial penalties and then licence revocations.

Operators in the market have most recently had issues with a marketing self-exclusion database but pointed out the regulations and technical requirements were released only in late December.

Lottomatrix Operations Limited became the latest operator to receive online gaming and sports betting licences on Monday, bringing the total number of licensed Swedish operators up to 66.

Reports in the Swedish press claim as many as 30 companies are still awaiting their licences, having submitted applications to the regulator.