Swedish consumer ombudsman warns two companies

The consumer ombudsman from Sweden has warned two companies after they sent promotions to self-excluded people.

Sweden.- Konsumentverket (KO), the consumer ombudsman from Sweden, has reported that Mr Green and Karl Casino have been found guilty of breaching the local advertising and gambling codes.

The companies have been accused of sending game advertisements to people who had self-excluded through the Spelpaus registry. The KO warned the operators and notified them that if they breach the self-exclusion rules again, they risk fines of €200k.

KO Counsel Johanna Nyblom explained that the law is clear on the marketing conditions. She said that the goal is that players that wish to stop playing should be protected from direct marketing on mobile or email.

The local gaming act focuses on consumer protection and seeks to protect players against excessive gaming. Players can suspend themselves through the local registry and cannot be contacted by gambling companies, which are obliged to ensure that they do not offer games to those people.

Decline in gambling advertising in Sweden

Sweden’s Social Security Minister Ardalan Shekarabi has revealed that since the re-regulation of the gaming market came into force, aggressive marketing from gambling companies has declined 44%.

Shekarabi said that the realignment has been a success so far. “Many people did not think that we would succeed in getting the companies that are active in the Swedish gaming market,” said the Minister at a press conference, according to Dagens Nyheter.

In 2018, gambling companies invested €682 million in marketing, and so far in 2019, the figure has decreased to €402 million. However, Shekarabi says that the government is still not satisfied with the numbers and will continue to follow developments. “The goal remains to push through legislation that restricts aggressive gaming advertising,” he said.