ATG €500K fine dismissed by Swedish courts 

The Swedish Gambling Inspectorate, Spelinspektionen, has had its SEK 6m (€500,000) penalty against the racing monopoly AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) overturned. 

The decision comes following an appeal by ATG to the Administrative Court in Linköping, where the firm contested the ‘size and warrant’ of Spelinspektionen’s penalty related to ‘AML deficiencies’. 

Spelinspektionen had originally issued a warning and a sanction fee of SEK 6m to ATG for deficiencies in its handling of money laundering controls between 2019 and 2021. 

Its investigation highlighted systematic shortcomings, with particular emphasis on interactions related to eight customer accounts – a judgement that ATG contested, stating that it had undertaken suitable risk-based actions during the relevant period. 

The Administrative Court agreed that there were shortcomings but not serious enough to warrant a warning and sanction fee, and consequently overturned Spelinspektionen’s decision.

ATG’s CEO, Hasse Lord Skarplöth, highlighted the decision as a significant victory, questioning Spelinspektionen’s strategy and therequest to increase the limit of sanction fees in future cases.

“The decision raises a number of larger questions. Spelinspektionen has requested to raise the limit for sanction fees to over ten million kronor in future cases.” Lord Skarplöth commented. 

“It applies to Spelinspektionen’s strategy, which differs from the rest of the authority world – more time should be spent on supporting rather than punishing the actors within the license system. And resources should be spent on defending the Swedish licensing market and pursuing unlicensed gaming companies.”

Spelinspektionen has been granted three weeks to launch a separate appeal to contest the Linköping Court’s decision.