SEK 10M Claim Filed Against Kindred Subsidiary in Sweden

Swedish entrepreneur and Odd Molly founder Per Holknekt has submitted a major lawsuit to Stockholm District Court against the parent company of Unibet, Kindred Group, together with a claim for over SEK 10 million ($986,263).

Holknekt Speaks Openly About His Gambling Addiction

62-year-old Per Holknekt has been struggling with gambling addiction for a long time. According to his own reports, he has wagered SEK 55.5 million ($5.5 million) only on Unibet, Kindred Group’s subsidiary in Sweden, during the period between 2005 and 2019 and has lost SEK 26 million ($2.5 million) of that sum. Holknekt is suing Kindred Group as he says the company fed into his gambling problem and lured him into gambling more and more despite clearly seeing that he was losing millions. Holknekt has said

Each wager was my own decision, but as a serious gambling addict, they knew cunningly, like a crack- dealer, exactly how to play me to generate the highest possible profit, for the owners, prepared to sacrifice a human being.

Swedish entrepreneur and Odd Molly founder Per Holknekt

With this lawsuit, Holknekt is trying to draw attention to the serious issue of gambling addiction and to point the finger at the big banks that continue to invest in gaming companies, which every year end up at the bottom of the list of sustainable firms.

Holknekt’s struggle with gambling addiction continued for 15 years but he has managed to recover and has blocked himself from all forms of gambling for the past three years. Holknekt says he knows of many other people that are struggling and are being led on by the gambling companies. He has highlighted that some people even end up taking their own lives. Holknekt has decided to take up a fight against one of the biggest players in the gambling sector in order to protect those who are harmed by the gambling companies’ abuse, shortcomings, violations of rules and exploitation of gambling addicts.

The Lawsuit in Details

On July 25 Holknekt filed a 25-page lawsuit with demands of compensation from Unibet’s two parent companies, Kindred Group and Spooniker, amounting to SEK 10,252,409 ($1,011,471). The main reason is that Holknekt’s gambling addiction has allegedly been fueled by the gambling company, which, according to the lawsuit, must have had a very good idea of Holknekt’s loss spiral but has not done anything to protect him from harm. In the document sent to the Stockholm District Court it is stated:

The gambling company has deliberately ignored the player’s gambling addiction and through constant incentives has worsened his financial situation.

Stockholm District Court

Holknekt is accusing Kindred Group of a long list of control deficiencies and irregularities in the way Unibet disregards and exploits its customers’ gambling addiction. Holknekt’s lawsuit also claims that there are clear indications of a lack of control regarding, among other things, money laundering.

Unibet and Kindred Group have not made any comments regarding the lawsuit.