Spelinspektionen will take measures to combat unauthorized gambling sites

The Swedish gambling regulator is stepping up the fight against online operators who are internationally licensed and continue to serve local players.

Recently, Spelinspektionen announced the launch of a nationwide campaign to inform the local population about what gambling sites with regulatory approval operate in the country. The main objective is after the launch of the regulated online market in January to increase the attendance of the resources of local operators, which at the same time have a resolution from Spelinspektionen, at the expense of Swedish players.

As Spelinspektionen CEO Anders Sims said, this campaign would affect outdoor, print and digital channels. It aims to ensure that the local population selects operators that have a specifically Swedish license.

Recently, the gambling regulator has also introduced a new strategy that will help determine which online operators should be responsible for their unauthorized activities. The main criteria for inclusion in the appropriate list include:

• the ability to make payments in Swedish currency;
• the provision of telephone services using the country code;
• promotion of the site and its partners among residents of Sweden;
• the offer of services in Swedish.

Spelinspektionen also claims that it will count on assistance from gambling regulators who work on other markets and who a cooperation agreement has already been signed with. It is simple for third-party game developers and payment processors not to be helped by an international unauthorized operator, which are identified by the regulator as a scam. Online gaming operators whose activities are approved in Sweden have been warned that their licenses only apply to specific domains.

It should be pointed out that the lack of control by the Swedish authorities provided international operators with unacceptable freedom of action. But the regulator was focused on monitoring the work of Swedish companies.

Despite the presence of monopoly operators, the Swedish market before legalization could be described as “gray”. Over the years, a huge number of international operators have provided services to Swedish users. The Gambling Authority, 6.7 million SEK from a total turnover of 23.4 million were generated by operators that do not have a Swedish license.

It becomes clear that the decision on legalization was dictated by objective necessity.

The regulation of the gambling industry should be strict because of the risk of the spread of gambling addiction, but the most important thing is to find a balance between control and interference in the organic development of the market.