Swedish operators disapprove of restrictive measures
Social Security Minister Ardalan Shekarabi's restrictive measures have sparked disapproval from Sweden's biggest operators. Executives from William Hill, Kindred Group, Bästa Casinobonusar, NetEnt, and Betsson share the same opinion - such rules could push Swedish players into an unlicensed market. When consumers leave, it will inevitably lead to companies leaving the market. Operators have expressed their concerns in an open letter and petition organised by Branscheforenigen for Onlinespel (BOS), the country's operators' association.
Back in April, Shekarabi proposed restrictive measures for the Swedish gambling market. Under the pretext that with COVID-19 isolation, many people could develop or provoke harmful gambling habits, a proposal was made to apply deposit limits as well as temporary restrictions for Swedish players.
These measures, discussed until 7 May, are scheduled to take effect from 1 July. But if you want to enjoy playing at online casinos without restrictions, visit https://utansvensklicens.casino/pay-n-play-casino/ Casinos without a Swedish licence are not subject to the new restrictions.
Half of the Swedish online gambling market has joined the petition
Following last week's petition, more operators are now joining the cause. Betway CEO Anthony Werkman, Henrik Andersson of Suprnation, Thomas Beckman of HeroGaming, and Shelly Suter-Hadad of Casumo have signed the BOS petition. They were also joined by Lahsen Merzug of ComeOn Group, Alexander Stendahl of Videoslots, and Daniel Lindberg of Quickspin.
Gustav Hoffstedt, general secretary of the operators' association, commented that he estimates that the CEOs who signed the petition currently represent almost half of the Swedish online gambling market. He said: "For the success of the licensing system and to ensure customer protection, it is crucial that Mr. Shekarabi repeals his additional measures against locally licensed operators."
Hoffstedt stressed: "The licensing system is fragile and will not stand up to further attacks from the minister. He should do the opposite and protect the licensing system in the name of customer protection."
In addition to the concerns expressed by Hoffstedt, the operators' association (BOS) is now trying to get all Swedish operators on board to sign the petition, whether they are members or not.
Mr. Green's $240,000 fine and the alarming Copenhagen Economics report
Amid a heated debate on restrictive measures, the decision by the Swedish Patent and Market Court has shown just how ruthless institutions can be. In November 2019, the Swedish Consumer Agency (KO) imposed a $240,000 fine on Mr. Green, the Swedish licensed brand of William Hill. This was because Mr. Green was accused of sending promotional emails to users who had already participated in the 'Spelpaus' self-exclusion program.
Green disagreed and appealed, pointing out that the company had not had enough time to check whether a player's name was on the list. Once they knew, it only took Mr. Green 10 hours to amend his mailing list to comply with Spelpaus' requirements. Mr. Green stressed that the fine was quite high and, given their lightning-fast response, a $5,000 fine would have been more appropriate.
However, the appeal was dismissed last week on the pretext that Green should have taken timely action given Spelpaus, but the court also pointed out that the company's annual turnover would not suffer much from such an amount.
But that's not all. Looking at the Copenhagen Economics report, it seems that the CEO's and Hoffstedt's fears are not unfounded. The report notes that around 15-20% of sports betting, as well as 22-28% of online casino gambling, is in the unregulated market. Judging by these figures, it seems that despite the Swedish government's efforts to establish channels, the unregulated market gets every fourth Swedish krona spent on online gambling. Looking at the facts so far, it appears that the restrictive measures may do more harm than good to the already shaken Swedish market.
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