Last year, Betsson was fined by the regulator for breaches of Sweden’s Gambling Act. The fine was issued alongside a warning. The violations were related to Betsson’s use of local convenience store chains Pressbyrån and 7-Eleven to sell vouchers for topping up online gaming accounts. Spelinspektionen determined that these stores acted as gaming agents without proper registration, which is against the Gambling Act. However, the Administrative Court later ruled that the sale of vouchers does not fall under the provisions of the Gambling Act regarding gaming agents.
In addition to the voucher issue, Betsson collaborated with Mastercard to launch a payment card in March 2019. Spelinspektionen considered this as the use of unauthorized bonuses since operators are only allowed to offer a one-time bonus to customers when they sign up. However, the Administrative Court concluded that the statements made by Betsson regarding the card did not constitute offers of unauthorized bonuses according to the law.
The Administrative Court’s ruling can still be appealed to the Administrative Court of Appeal in Jönköping. This court has several ongoing cases that involve interpretations of Sweden’s gaming law. It is worth noting that Spelinspektionen has had several recent decisions overturned or changed upon appeal. For example, the Court of Appeal rejected the regulator’s appeal against Kindred subsidiary Spooniker, concerning a loophole in the country’s temporary deposit cap. The court also reduced penalties against Genesis Global and Aspire Global’s AG Communications, as it found that the regulator could not base penalties on turnover for offenses committed soon after the Swedish regulated market opened.
