Mr Green loses Swedish appeal

Operator has lost its appeal in a Swedish court over a penalty for marketing to self-excluded players.

Sweden.- William Hill-owned iGaming brand Mr Green has lost an appeal to a Swedish court to reduce the financial penalty imposed for marketing to self-excluded players.

The firm was handed a SEK2million (£165,000) financial penalty late last year after an investigation by the Swedish Consumer Ombudsman, Konsumentombudsman (KO), found the firm had sent marketing material to Swedish players who had self excluded via the country’s Spelpaus programme.

The company appealed the size of the penalty in the Swedish Patent and Market Court of Appeal, arguing that the individuals in question had signed up to Spelpaus very soon after the company had checked the list.

Mr Green said that updating its mailing list could take up to 10 hours, making it impossible to exclude all players from promotional mailings as soon as they sign up to Spelpaus.

Swedish legal press reports that the KO argued Mr Green was responsible for ensuring its technology could update promotional mailing lists punctually.

The court agreed, finding that the company could verify names against the Spelpaus list in smaller batches.

It declared that the pressure that promotional material could place on people who were trying to avoid gambling was sufficient to warrant the size of the fine imposed.