Swedish gambling regulator bans another Curaçao-based operator

Spelinspektionen says the website was targeting Swedish gamblers.

Sweden.- The Swedish gambling regulator has taken action against another Curaçao-licensed gambling operator, adding Goodwin NV to its list of banned providers. Spelinspektionen says the Immerion website was offering gambling in the country despite not having a local licence.

The regulator said it inspected Immerion using test purchasing. It found that it was possible to create an account from within Sweden and that the site had an FAQ section in the Swedish language. It also found affiliate marketing targeted at Swedish players.

The ban clarifies to players, affiliates and payment providers that the site is not licenced to operate in Sweden. It could also jeopardise Goodwin’s chances should it ever seek to apply for a Swedish licence. Spelinspektionen could take further action by ordering payment blocking.

It’s the latest in an ever-growing list of actions against Curaçao-based gambling operators targeting Sweden. Last year, Spelinspektionen issued bans against Cosmogames, Galaktika, Small House BV, Jer-Team and more.

In 2024, the Curaçao gambling licensing system underwent reforms, marking the end of the controversial system of master licences.

Channelisation challenges in Swedish igaming

The Swedish horseracing betting operator AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) has issued a warning over illegal gambling in Sweden. It believes that channelisation to licenced gambling sites could be as low as 70 per cent.

Its latest report suggests that traffic to unlicenced gambling sites has risen tenfold since 2019 according to its tracking. As a result, the channelisation rate in Q3 would have been between 70 and 82 per cent, the operator claims. That would be below the 82 per cent rate claimed by the national gambling regulator Spelinspektionen.