Sweden Fines Two Operators for Duty of Care Violations

Sweden’s gambling regulator, the Spelinspektionen, announced that it had issued financial penalties to two gambling operators. According to the authority, both of these companies violated their duty of care commitments, thus exposing consumers to gambling harm risks.

The two companies in question are Roar Vegas Ltd and Glitnor Services Limited.

Roar Vegas Intervened Too Late

According to the Spelinspektionen, Roar Vegas has failed to help higher-risk customers reduce their gambling even though there was reason to do so.

The Spelinspektionen reported that it examined 12 customers and determined that Roar Vegas failed to protect 3 of them. The regulator insisted that these were problem players and that there were sufficient flags to identify them as such.

The Spelinspektionen acknowledged that Roar Vegas did eventually intervene, taking effective measures to shield the measures from harm. Unfortunately, it did not do so in a timely manner, which represents a violation of the Swedish Gambling Act.

As a result, the Spelinspektionen issued a warning and levied a penalty fee of SEK 8 million ($801,000) to the operator.

For reference, Roar Vegas holds a commercial online gaming and sports betting license. It operates in Sweden as leovegas.com.

Glitnor Services Failed to Shield Its Players from Harm

In the meantime, the Spelinspektionen understood that Glitnor Services Limited had likewise failed to take appropriate measures to combat excessive gambling.

After examining 12 customers, the Spelinspektionen concluded that a staggering 10 did not receive gambling harm interventions. Unlike Roar Vegas, which eventually intervened, albeit later than expected, Glitnor did not take sufficient measures to counteract excessive gambling.

Because of that, the company received a warning alongside a much larger fine of SEK 28 million ($2.8 million).

For reference, Glitnor Services, which operates as luckycasino.com in Sweden, also holds a commercial online gaming and sports betting license.

Unregulated Gaming Grows and So Does Underage Gambling

In other news, the Spelinspektionen reported a disconcerting rise in gambling among minors and young adults. In its report, the Swedish gambling regulator noted that this trend is especially prevalent among male players.

This makes combating problem gambling especially important as its effect on the most vulnerable parts of society worsens.

To make matters worse, unlicensed gambling sites too continue to grow in popularity in Sweden, presenting yet another challenge to the Spelinspektionen. Unregulated operators have been the scourge of many regulated markets as they cannibalize the revenue of their licensed counterparts while offering none of the player protections or tax contributions legal companies do.