Swedish gambling regulator denies reports of national self-exclusion register data breach

Spelinspektionen has rejected claims of a data breach in Spelpaus.

Sweden.- Swedish national gambling regulator, Spelinspektionen, has released a statement denying reports of data breaches in the national self-exclusion register Spelpaus.se. The report was aired on Sveriges Radio channel P1 on January 7 as part of the ‘Kasinoläckan’ documentary series which examines Europe’s casino industry.

The statement reads: “The Swedish Gambling Authority has not had any data breaches in the national self-exclusion register Spelpaus.se and has no evidence of information being ‘leaked’ from the register. 

“All information in the register is encrypted and there is no information about whether the person who has self-excluded is addicted to gambling or not. The register does not contain any information about addresses or telephone numbers of those who have self-excluded.”

Spelinspektionen, however, did admit to some potential issues with Spelpaus. Since spring last year, the regulator has been investigating why some consumers who have registered with Spelpaus are still receiving gambling-related marketing.

This mainly relates to operators without a Swedish licence, as the communications are focused on players’ exclusion from legal play. “We continuously review risks in the operations, of which Spelpaus is a part, not least in light of the current global situation,” the regulator said.

See also: Online gambling brands lose appeals against fines in Sweden 

Spelinspektionen also clarified the rules for Spelpaus. Swedish law requires all operators with a local licence to integrate the register into their offerings. The option to sign up must be made clear to all consumers and licensees must honour this exclusion.

Players have the option to exclude for several set periods. These include one, three and six-month breaks, while users can also opt to block themselves for 12 months or more. Since launching in January 2019, over 120,000 people in Sweden have registered with Spelpaus.