A Swedish administrative court has ruled that the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) cannot enforce an SEK20M fine it issued to online operator Betsson for an alleged violation of the Swedish Gaming Act.
The fine was originally issued alongside a warning in June of 2020 following an investigation by the SGA. The authority alleged that Betsson subsidiary Betsson Nordic had violated operator restrictions by offering bonuses and failing to register agents who sold gambling vouchers. For a short period of time, Betsson vouchers were available at Pressbyrån and 7-Eleven — as such, the SGA stated that the businesses were agents of the operator.
As result of the investigation, the SGA issued a fine of SEK20M (€1.98M) to the operator and a warning against future conduct. The fine was determined by the number of alleged violations that the SGA claimed took place.
However, following a lengthy appeal process, the administrative court finally came to a decision and ruled that the violation of unregistered agents could not be enforced as the sale of vouchers is not covered in the Swedish Gambling Act saying:
“The sale of the vouchers does not constitute the sale of gambling, the receipt of bets or the mediation of winnings.”
A court issued statement explained the ruling saying:
“We have therefore come to the conclusion that the Swedish Gaming Inspectorate has had no basis for issuing a warning to Betsson and deciding on a penalty fee. The authority’s decision is therefore repealed in its entirety.”
Olivia has worked as an editor and writer for major brands across multiple niches. She now focuses on the iGaming and sports betting industries.