Svenska Spel hails “healthy revenue” figures from Q2

The state-controlled gambling operator says 93.2 per cent of its corporate income was “healthy”.

Sweden.- The state-run gambling operator Svenska Spel has reported that 93.2 per cent of its corporate income in Q2 came from ‘healthy revenues’, as defined under its new safer gambling metrics. Total net gaming revenue reached SEK 1.87bn (€166m).

Alongside Kindred and ATG, Svenska Spel defines healthy revenues as those generated from customers who gamble responsibly and have a low risk of gambling problems. Svenska Spel calculates the figure using its Playscan analysis tool, which classifies customers according to the gambling habits and risk of developing problems. The tool has independent supervision.

Svenska Spel noted that it has increased its monitoring of high-risk players. It uses a multi-step approach to risky gambling behaviour, which runs from notifications to direct personal contact and restrictions or blocks in the most extreme cases. The operator said it plans to implement new measures in the autumn.

Group CEO Anna Johnson said: “As we have strengthened our gambling responsibility measures, the percentage of healthy revenue has continuously increased during the year. I hope that more gambling companies with a licence in Sweden start reporting this key figure in a reliable way.”

Meanwhile, the Swedish gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, has called for the government to carefully consider the potential impact of a proposal to close Svenska Spel’s Casino Cosmopol brand. It says the closure of Sweden’s last land-based casino could harm efforts to tackle unlicensed gambling.

Spelinspektionen says it has no objection to the proposal to close Casino Cosmopol. However, it highlighted police concerns that some land-based casino players could move to illegal gambling. As a result, it says it would need more resources to tackle illegal gambling and to warn players of the changes. Svenska Spel closed two of its three land-based casinos in February.