Sweden warns of bans as it updates licensing requirements

Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gaming Inspectorate, has made changes to its licensing requirements after announcing that any operator without the appropriate license will be excluded from the country’s market
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Spelinspektionen, the Swedish Gaming Inspectorate, has made changes to its licensing requirements after announcing that any operator without the appropriate license will be excluded from the country’s market.

The Inspectorate now requires all licensees to offer deposits, withdrawals and winnings in Swedish Kroner whilst any information on their websites must be provided in the Swedish language in changes which it describes as ‘good for consumer protection’. 

Operators will also have to use payment service providers registered in Sweden or used ‘exclusively or largely’ by the Swedish public.

Companies must also have a Swedish customer service or FAQ page and have a customer service line contactable using a Swedish telephone number, and all affiliates must conduct marketing in Swedish.

Spelinspektionen has outlined plans for increased collaboration with the police and prosecutors and other agencies such as the Swedish Consumer Agency, Swedish Tax Agency and Swedish Enforcement Agency.

Additionally, the regulator has revealed its intention to ‘create conditions for the exchange of information’ regarding illegal gambling activities, particularly concerning operators with licences in multiple countries that have been conducting illicit activity in Sweden.

Should an international operator be found to have been carrying out illegal gambling operators in Sweden, the Inspectorate will send a letter to the relevant national gaming authority informing the organisation that a gambling ban has been used against the operator.

By bringing about ‘a form of self-regulation’ to the Swedish market, the Inspectorate expects to improve its effort to combat illegal gambling in the country. To achieve this, it is hopeful that companies active in Sweden will provide tips on issues relating to illegal gaming activities and assist with identifying illicit operators.

To enforce the new requirements, the Inspectorate has reserved the right to intervene against companies using remarks, warnings or license cancellations, under the conditions of the country’s Gaming Act.