Swedish gambling regulator bans Novatech
The move comes days after the Dutch gambling regulator issued a record fine against the operator.
Sweden.- The Swedish gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has issued a banning order against the operator Novatech. Its regulators concluded that several Novatech domains were targeting Swedish players without holding the required local licence.
The decision followed an inspection carried out between February 23 and 25 2026, during which regulators reviewed sites including qbet.com, mangacasino.com, slotexpress.com, 55bet.com, and 30bet.com.
Evidence showed that users connecting from Swedish IP addresses were automatically presented with Sweden’s country code during registration. The regulator also noted that Novatech’s brands were promoted via Swedish-language websites and content creators on streaming platforms.
When starting a covert test purchase on qbet.com, inspectors found that Swedish players were able to register and open accounts without restriction, the regulator said.
Spelinspektionen said that “player protection concerns” were central to its ruling. Under the Swedish Gambling Act, operators must hold a Swedish licence to legally serve the domestic market.
The Swedish order comes just days after the Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) imposed a record fine of €24.9m (£21.5m) against Novatech for allegedly illegally offering gambling to Dutch players.
The KSA reported that investigators were able to register, deposit and gamble on Novatech domains. It also highlighted weak age verification and the acceptance of cryptocurrency payments as aggravating factors while suggesting that the penalty could have exceeded €100m if it had more freedom to dictate fines against unlicensed operators.
