The Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen/SGA) has banned Small House BV for unlawfully providing gambling services to Swedish customers. The regulator stated that the company was specifically targeting the Swedish market through its website, bcgame.top.
Key findings and actions
Upon examining bcgame.top, Spelinspektionen discovered that the site utilized Swedish currency and had affiliates marketing in Swedish. Additionally, the site did not restrict Swedish players from accessing or playing on it.
Small House BV, based in Curaçao, operates multiple websites including bc.game, hash.game, bc.app, and others. The immediate effect of Spelinspektionen’s ban prohibits Small House BV from targeting Swedish players, though the company may appeal the decision.
Continued crackdown on unlicensed gambling
This action is part of Spelinspektionen’s ongoing effort to curb unlicensed gambling operations. The authority reiterated its criteria for determining whether a company is targeting Sweden, such as allowing Swedish registrations, offering Swedish-language information, accepting Swedish payment methods, and promoting products in Swedish.
Previously, Spelinspektionen took similar actions against MRSL and banned four more operators in June for unlicensed activities targeting Swedish consumers.
Fines and regulatory measures
In addition to banning unlicensed operators, Spelinspektionen has fined licensed operators for regulatory violations. Recently, Folkspel Ideell Förening was fined almost $50,000 for inadequate measures to prevent underage gambling. Kanon Gaming faced a $666,000 fine for failing to protect customers showing signs of problem gambling.
Tax hike and industry reaction
The Swedish government has also increased the gambling tax rate from 18% to 22%. While the government claims this rate is suitable for the local market, gambling operators and organizations, such as the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS), argue that the tax hike could hinder market progress.
