Svenska Spel rebrands horse racing games after legal defeat

Sweden’s Supreme Court upheld a decision in favour of ATG.

Sweden.- Svenska Spel has rebranded its horse racing games following its Supreme Court legal defeat to horseracing betting operator Aktiebolaget Trav och Galopp (ATG). The games will now be branded as Svenska Spel Hästar.

ATG had sued its fellow former monopoly operator over its use of the phrase “Trav och Galopp” in a racing product that it launched with France’s Pari-Mutuel Urbain (PMU) in September 2020. ATG had argued that the use of the slogan, which means “trot and gallop” infringed on its company name.

The Patent and Market Court of Appeal agreed, but Svenska Spel launched an appeal. The Supreme Court of Sweden has now rejected that appeal and upheld the original ruling.

ATG CEO Hans Lord Skarplöth said: “That the Supreme Court followed our line was expected. It can never be okay to use someone else’s company name, and it feels good that the matter is now settled once and for all. It was important to establish that a competitor does not have the right to use our company name and exploit its good reputation.”

Svenska Spel Sport & Casino CEO Fredrik Wastenson said: “For our customers, this means no changes apart from the name change. We are proud of our fantastic offer on horses, which will be available just like before, but now under Svenska Spel Hästar. 

“We think it is strange that the court considers that descriptive words for a business can have such high protection, but obviously we respect the court’s decision.”

Casino Cosmopol to close two of its three casinos

Meanwhile, Svenska Spel has announced plans to close two Casino Cosmopol land-based casino venues due to a lack of profitability. The venues that will close are those in Gothenburg and Malmö. That will leave only the flagship Casino Cosmopol Stockholm operational.

The land-based casino brand was hard hit during the Covid-19 pandemic but has also suffered from a downturn due to the rise in online gaming. State-controlled Svenska Spel had changed its operating hours in October, but it says it has now decided to permanently close two venues to “limit losses”.

The move could affect 200 staff. Svenska Spel said it would hold negotiations with unions before it makes a final decision.