Spelinspektionen Bans Skins Gambling Operator Yomoly

Sweden’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, announced that it has banned skins gambling operator Yomoli Ltd with immediate effect. The authority learned that the operator’s sites actively targeted local players despite their lack of a license.

The Decision Is with Immediate Effect

In its official decision, the Spelinspektionen said that Yomoly is now prohibited from offering its products in Sweden. The decision, which came with immediate effect, follows an investigation by the regulator, which discovered that the operator was targeting Swedish players.

The Spelinspektionen elaborated that Yomoly’s hellcase.com website offers skins gambling that uses video game cosmetics as currency. The most popular of these cosmetics are Counter-Strike skins that alter the visuals of a player’s weapon. Some of these skins can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, depending on their rarity.

Due to the valuable nature of skins, skins gambling has emerged as a popular form of gambling. However, its legality remains murky at best, with many alleging that it has a concerningly strong appeal among younger audiences.  

In this case, hellcase allowed players to stake money for a shot at winning skins of varying quality and value.

The Platform Targeted the Local Market, Spelinspektionen Says

The Spelinspektionen determined that Yomoly’s skins gambling platform, which featured extensively across the material of content creators on Twitch and Kick, was actively targeting the Swedish market.

The regulator confirmed this by probing the website and determining that the Swedish country code was selectable and preselected for newly registering users with a Swedish IP address. The Spelinspektionen also learned that the Swedish Language was used in the selection of payment methods and that the company’s affiliates had marketing in the Swedish language.

Additionally, regulator representatives learned that it was possible for a Swedish player to create an account and use the website, despite its lack of a license.

As a result of its discoveries, the Spelinspektionen ended up issuing the prohibition. The regulator noted that Yomoly can appeal the ban.

Speaking of appeals, AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) was recently required to pay a fine of SEK 3 million after Sweden’s Administrative Court of Appeal ruled in favor of an earlier decision.

In other news, the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) recently suggested that the country should follow Denmark’s example in terms of gaming regulation.