Sweden Puts Interim Gambling Laws Into Action
Published July 27, 2020 by Sol FH
Sweden sets a weekly deposit limit for Swedish players and online operators are fuming.
LeoVegas Casino has voiced its disapproval of Sweden's new interim online gambling regulations, which limit Swedish player's weekly deposits to just $537. It was not only the operator that was furious about this new law but even the national regulator, Spelinspektionen anticipated that there would be major issues with the new rules. It is not just the deposit limit, as the new rules leave a lot of questions in the air, as gambling operators interpret the regulations differently. It is due to the confusion that operators are demanding that Spelinspektionen clear up the mess and get everyone on the same page.
In an open letter to Spelinspektionen, LeoVegas stated that “Only a few days after the Minister of Health’s temporary restrictions came into force, it is clear that the gaming companies have interpreted the new regulation in very different ways. The chaos that the gaming industry warned about has now occurred, as a result of a hasty and weakly substantiated proposal. We now appeal to the Gaming Inspectorate to clarify to the industry what applies regarding the deposit restrictions.”
They added that the rules, which started on July 2, also caused Swedish players to take a stand and many have taken to offshore sites. This fact will take tax revenue away from Sweden and result in less protection.
The company continued, “Spelinspektionen, which is set to ensure that the regulation is followed, also had several objections. Among other things, against the extremely short time given to the gaming companies to implement the extensive changes and the risk of reduced channeling.
“The chaos that the gaming industry, like other experts, warned of has now occurred. It is technically difficult to distinguish the products on a platform that intends to meet the requirements for both a good gaming experience and a high level of consumer protection. For fear of more millions in fines, most companies have been forced to deal with the new restrictions by putting a limit on all products, even though sports and horses are not covered by the regulation.”
