SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has issued another warning to its licensees, but this time, regarding the controls surrounding its bonus offers to customers.
The regulator set out rules which state that operators within Sweden are only permitted to offer players a bonus during the first time they play on their site.
However, in a letter sent to all licensees, Spelinspektionen revealed that a handful of different operators had broken those rules, allowing players to take advantages of several offers instead.
Spelinspektionen warned of the implications this could have on Swedish gamblers, as it could possibly encourage players to gamble in an unhealthy manner.
The regulator went on to reveal that it had already issued supervision orders to a number of unnamed operators regarding the bonus offers that they had available.
It clarified the definition as to what a bonus consists of – namely all discount offers, cashback promotions or other financial incentives – and stated that under Swedish law, they can only be offered to players the first time they gamble with a licensee.
When responding to claims that the legislation lacked clarity, Spelinspektionen operations chief Patrik Gustavsson explained: “there have been claims in the debate that the law is unclear. However, there is a definition in the law that states that all discounts or similar financial incentives linked to the games are to be seen as a bonus.”
Gustavsson warned operators of the implications of non-compliance: “It is also clear that a licensee can only offer bonuses the first time a player plays at the licensee’s game. If the license holder violates the rules, the authority can intervene with high penalties. The license can also be revoked.”
In January 2019, Spelinspektionen issued a warning pertaining to the implementation of self-exclusion policies by operators. The swedish regulator stated that it would not tolerate operators which did not adhere to Spelpaus.se ( translation – ‘game-break’) provisions, made mandatory under Sweden’s new online gambling licensing framework.
The regulator was forced to monitor all new incumbents closely, demanding that they comprehensively reference Spelpaus.se, or face record penalties, suspensions, including potential license terminations.
