Swedish regulator launches Dutch-style “prioritisation criteria”
Regulator aims to provide clarity on the clampdown of illegal operators in new document
Illegal operators in Sweden will be targeted using a criterion similar to that of the Dutch prioritisation criteria, the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) has confirmed.
In a process document released on the SGA website, the regulator revealed six criteria initially, but said more may be added following a trial of the initial criteria.
These include whether the site includes information in Swedish including terms and conditions or refers to being a Swedish customer in its frequently asked questions.
In addition, operators featuring customer service in Swedish or a Swedish telephone number as its contact for players can be liable for investigation.
Any operator offering deposits, withdrawals and profits in Swedish currency can also be investigated, together with any operator or affiliate which targets marketing towards Swedish consumers.
These criteria are similar in make-up to the Dutch prioritisation criteria, which allows the Dutch Gambling Authority to investigate gambling sites based on their usage of the Dutch language, symbols, payment methods and Dutch-facing ISPs.
In the document, the SGA adds there is a “great responsibility” on licensed operators not cooperate or conclude agreements with firms engaged in illegal gambling.
The SGA also confirmed that any licensee which operates a smaller subsidiary firm without a licence will be investigated by the SGA if found to be operating illegally.
“The Gaming Inspectorate [SGA] considers that the best way to intervene against the illegal gambling business is to try to permission a form of self-regulation of the market i.e. that other players in the gaming market are acting to close illegal players out,” the SGA said.
Elsewhere, the SGA has launched a new national advertising campaign to raise awareness about its regulations governing the Swedish egaming market.
Three ads have been generated as part of the campaign, with messaging highlighting the need to ban unlicensed operators.
The campaign will be aired during December and January, airing in print and digital across Sweden. The total campaign budget is SEK 2.5m.
Anders Sims, communications manager at the SGA, said the campaign hopes to make the market safer for players.
“It is almost a year since the new Gaming Act came into force, which means that gaming companies must have a Swedish licence in order to conduct gambling operations in Sweden,” said Sims.
“However, the fact that the Gaming Inspectorate is responsible for supervision is still relatively unknown to the public,” he added.