Spelinspektionen, the Swedish gambling regulator, has fined a third licensed online gambling operator for violation of self-exclusion rules
In a statement on its official website, the Swedish Gambling Authority said that it has slapped a SEK3 million (approx. $321,210) penalty on Malta-based online gambling company AG Communications Limited. The operator services Swedish gamblers through its multiple gambling brands, including its flagship Karamba online casino.
Spelinspektionen said that AG Communications was among a group of its licensees that were found to have failed to prevent self-excluded customers from gambling.
Self-exclusion and the protection of self-excluded gamblers are paid particularly special attention in Sweden’s new gambling regulatory framework. All licensed online gambling companies servicing local customers are required to connect their operations to the country’s national self-exclusion register Spelpaus.se.
The register went live on January 1, 2019, the exact date on which the new gambling law of the Scandinavian nation took effect. AG Communications is among the more than 60 international gambling companies to have so far been granted licenses by Spelinspektionen.
The gambling regulator said today that it has been contacted by gamblers who informed it that they were able to gamble on AG Communications’ websites, even though they had opted to self-exclude via the Spelpaus.se system.
Other Self-Exclusion Incidents
Spelinspektionen launched a probe into the matter after it was reached out by affected gamblers and discovered that AG Communications had indeed failed to prevent self-excluded gambling customers from playing for money on its websites.
As mentioned earlier, the company was imposed a SEK3 million fine for failing to establish a “functioning connection” with Spelpaus.se.
Spelinspektionen pointed out in today’s statement that it is instrumental that its licensees have a functioning connection with the national self-exclusion register. The Spelpaus.se system thus prevents those who register with it from gambling on any of the locally regulated websites.
Last month, Spelinspektionen fined two other online gambling companies for similar violations of the portion of Sweden’s gambling law that deals with self-exclusion and the protection of self-excluded gamblers.
Genesis Global Limited and Paf Consulting Corporation were the two companies that faced regulatory action back in March. Genesis, which manages the Casino Joy, Sloty, and Vegas Hero brands, among others, was fined SEK4 million (approx. $430,000). Paf was imposed a SEK100,000 fine (approx. $10,808).
All three companies fined so far over self-exclusion failures also received a formal warning by Spelinspektionen. The regulator has previously said that aside from slapping hefty fines, it could even terminate the licenses of serial violators of Sweden’s self-exclusion rules.
According to information from Spelinspektionen, more than 30,000 people opted to self-exclude from gambling during the first quarter of the year.
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