iGaming authorities in Sweden have begun their crackdown on the country’s black market by banning six unlicensed operators.
This follows on from Spelinspektoren‘s announcement last week that it intends to address illegal gambling here, following concerns domestically.
Which operators have been banned?
The brands that have received the law’s wrath are as follows:
- Alpha Interactive Solutions;
- Equinox Dynamic;
- Game Tech Group;
- Orakum;
- Topic Solutions;
- Winners Entertainment Limited.
The six brands have dozens of websites between them, all of which are subject to the governing body’s decision.
Time to clamp down
Illegal gambling activity has been a hot topic in Sweden over the course of this year. Spelinspektoren has received criticism for the way things have been handled so far, prompting it to think about how to improve the situation.
Last week, the regulator identified that both the industry and state are harmed by unlawful operations. Unlicensed brands seldom pay tax, while having such a big black market not only damages credibility but also disgruntles those who are compliant.
According to Spelinspektoren, most unregulated operators are actually based outside of Sweden. And on top of this, the majority aren’t based in the EU.
During its recent announcement, the regulator said: “There is no simple solution or any tool that can directly exclude these illegal gaming operators from the Swedish market.
“However, Spelinspektionen believes that there are several stakeholders who can take steps to limit the opportunity and incentives to conduct illegal gambling in Sweden. Spelinspektionen will prioritise collaboration with these bodies.”
Swedish iGaming: approaching its one-year anniversary
The Scandinavian nation is approaching one year since it re-regulated online gambling, coming into effect on January 1st 2019. In Q3, over 3.35 billion Swedish Krona (SEK) was made in revenue. That totals to the equivalent of £268.6 million.
The final quarter results for 2019 will likely be released early next year.
