Svenska Spel reintroduces proxy play

Gambling operator relaunches the remote service for people who cannot get to play directly, allowing them to participate via an agent.

Sweden.- Gambling operator Svenska Spel has reintroduced a proxy play service, intended to allow customers to nominate an individual to place bets or buy lottery tickets on their behalf.

It is for people such as the elderly who cannot get to play directly through an agent,”explained the operator’s Head of Retail and Customer Service, Carolina Swaffer.

“We removed this ability some years ago and received many letters expressing sadness that it was no longer available. But with gaming terminals now offering far more secure verification of ID, we can reintroduce it.”

To gamble via a proxy, the customer must fill out a form that names an individual to place a bet or buy a ticket on their behalf. This form can be obtained from the country’s gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, which maintains a list of all proxies, or via the Svenska Spel site.

There are plans to update this form with a digital alternative in future, the operator added.

“We have been working on this feature for some time, but now in connection with the Coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis, we made rapid progress to get it in place,” Swaffer said,.

“With so many people in quarantine, we have to [find a way to] help. It is clear that our older customers should be able to continue playing their favourite games as they are used to, without having put themselves at risk.”