The third quarter of the year continued to prove difficult for Svenska Spel, as the Swedish firm reported revenue declines across all verticals. An update from the state-owned operator this morning showed that total net gaming revenue declined year-on-year in Q3, albeit by a marginal 1% to SEK 1.95bn (€178.2m) from SEK 1.97m (€180m). Meanwhile, operating profits fell by 2% …
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Sweden’s Moderaterna Party (Liberal Conservatives) have submitted a provisional mandate to the Riksdag, outlining plans to overhaul the country’s gambling regime. Ahead of the General Election on 9 September, Moderaterna has formed a four-party right-wing bloc that will challenge Sweden’s left-of-centre coalition government led by Social Democrat Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. Should it win the Autumn elections and come to power, …
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Konsumentombudsmannen (KO) – Sweden’s Consumer Ombudsman has been rejected in its appeal to examine a contract between Svenska Spel and TV4 AB regarding their existing arrangement to promote Triss (instant win) games. Since 2020, KO has stood by its original decision that news features on TV4 promoting Triss winners should be classified as advertising. Its decision was deemed necessary to …
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The Swedish government will end its temporary restrictions on online casinos from 14 November. According to Swedish media reports, the government will no longer enforce its policy that had been applied since 1 July 2020 as a protective measure for Swedish citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. Licensed operators had been forced to impose a mandatory SEK 5,000 (€480) weekly deposit …
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A deep dive on the prospects and realities of Sweden’s regulated online gambling marketplace opened the ‘Key Markets’ track on day one of the CasinoBeats Summit Malta. “Three years on from its re-regulation in 2019, Swedish gambling has faced perhaps the toughest balancing act of any European marketplace in the context of its liberalisation and regulation.” This was an observation …
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The Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA) has strengthened its international ties with its sister organisation, Portugal’s Associação Portuguesa de Apostas e Jogos Online (APAJO), with the aim of enhancing European harmonisation. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two regulators will see the partners cooperate closely on jointly promoting channelling and responsible participation in online gambling in both territories. The …
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The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has entered into a new partnership with Sweden’s Branschföreningen för Onlinespel (BOS) whereby the duo will ‘work together on projects of mutual interest’. Through the memorandum of understanding (MoU), BOS and IBIA’s collaboration will likely focus on the challenges presented by recent regulatory changes in Sweden. Gustaf Hoffstedt, secretary general of BOS, commented: “A …
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Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling regulator, has issued a further crackdown on match-fixing after confirming that it will ban betting markets on rule violations such as expulsions, penalties and yellow cards in football. The new rules, which come into force from 1 January 2021, will be applicable to games played in Sweden. The regulations, according to the regulator, will mean that …
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Swedish gambling inspectorate Spelinspektionen has warned the government that it may be difficult to meet the 2 July deadline to implement deposit limits. Last month, Minister of Health Ardalan Shekarabi submitted proposals for a weekly deposit limit of SEK5,000 as well as a SEK100 limit on welcome bonuses – a directive that has been widely criticised by both industry leadership …
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A consortium of Swedish online gambling companies have ‘unanimously contested’ the Ministry of Finance’s proposals to place further restrictions on online gambling licensees. In a joint statement issued by Swedish igaming trade body BOS, nine CEOs have called for the government to reconsider the ‘unrealistic proposals’, which are said to ‘play into the hands of the unlicensed market’. The statement …
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