Spelinspektionen Bans 2 Operators, Concludes Lottery Supervision, Names New Director General

Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s gambling authority, published several updates, announcing the ban of two illegal operators, the conclusion of a case against the Swedish Postcode Lottery, and the appointment of a new director general of the regulatory body.

Spelinspektionen Takes Action Against Two Operators

In its official announcements, the Spelinspektionen said that it has banned Ryker BV and Bitx Operations NV from offering their products in the country. According to the authority, the two companies’ offerings were available to local consumers, despite the fact that neither possessed a license.

For context, Ryker BV operated the jackbit.com site, which had options in the Swedish language and was accessible by players with Swedish IP addresses. Bitx Operations NV, on the other hand, operated playbet.io, which was likewise available to Swedish players and had payment options in Swedish krona.

The Spelinspektionen added that only licensed companies are allowed to legally offer gaming.

The Regulator Concluded Its Supervision of the Postcode Association

In the meantime, the Spelinspektionen announced the closure of a supervisory case against the Swedish Postcode Association, which operates the Swedish Postcode Lottery.

For context, the regulator initiated its supervision of the lottery association last year, following the Konsumentverket’s review of the association’s marketing methods used in the phone sales of lottery tickets.

The Spelinspektionen added that it was responsible for examining the association’s practices and determining whether they violated Sweden’s advertising laws. However, the Spelinspektionen couldn’t determine whether the Swedish Postcode Association violated the law and refrained from taking further action.

The matter has now been referred to the Secretariat of the Swedish Consumer Ombudsman (Konsumentombudsmannens Sekretariat).

Johan Röhr Replaces Rosenberg as Director General

As mentioned, the Spelinspektionen also announced the appointment of a new director general. The one up to the task is Johan Röhr, who’s previously served as the regulator’s chief legal officer.

Röhr will step into the office on November 1, replacing the outgoing Camilla Rosenberg.

The Spelinspektionen lauded Röhr’s experience in the regulatory body’s operation, which makes him well-equipped to take over from Rosenberg.